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The indicator shows the share of material recovered and fed back into the economy – and thus saving extraction of primary raw materials – in overall material use.
Kosovo is still developing its circular economy infrastructure and national policies. The circular material use rate increased from 1 % in 2010 to 4.6 % in 2022, primarily driven by municipal waste recycling. In 2021, Kosovo .
The country has set strategic objectives for the circular economy in its integrated waste management strategy, focusing on raising awareness, promoting innovation in waste prevention and establishing reuse systems. The goal is to increase recycling by 50 % by 2035 compared with .
Other policies include the circular economy roadmap, which outlines priority areas for transition, and the national construction and demolition waste management plan, aiming for a . Kosovo also has strong potential to adopt reuse business models that could reduce plastic .
Various initiatives by civil-society organisations and private sector partnerships focus on increasing circular material use, reducing waste and promoting . These efforts are key steps towards advancing a circular economy in Kosovo.
References and footnotes
- ↵European Environment Agency and European Topic Centre on Circular economy and resource use, ‘Circular economy country profile – Kosovo’, 2022, accessed 25 June 2025, https://www.eionet.europa.eu/etcs/etc-ce/products/etc-ce-products/etc-ce-report-5-2022-country-profiles-on-circular-economy/kosovo-ce-country-profile-2022_for-publication.pdf.
- ↵Kosovo Agency of Statistics, ‘Waste treatment in Kosovo by type, 2019-2023’, 2023, accessed 2 July 2025, https://askdata.rks-gov.net/pxweb/en/ASKdata/ASKdata__Environment__Mbeturinat__Anketa%20e%20Mbeturinave%20t%C3%AB%20Trajtuara/tab1.px/.
- ↵Government of Kosovo, ‘Kosovo integrated waste management strategy (2021–2030) and action plan (2021–2023)’, government website, 2021, accessed 25 June 2025, https://gzk.rks-gov.net/ActDocumentDetail.aspx?ActID=42930.
- ↵Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure, Circular Economy Roadmap of Kosovo, March 2023, accessed 25 June 2025, https://mmphi.rks-gov.net/MMPHIFolder/DocumentsFiles/2023_8171e270-643b-4de3-9387-91794084eb8b.pdf.
- a bMentzis, A., Karkazi, A., Vrubliauskiene, N., Gargoulas, N., Dimitriadis, I., Azizi, A., Mavropoulos, A., Gjinolli, P., Shuku, A., Zejnullahu, N. (EPEM Engineering – GITEC / IGIP – EPEM – ECT), ‘Development of the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Plan in Kosovo’, 2023, accessed 3 July 2025, https://mmphi.rks-gov.net/MMPHIFolder/DocumentsFiles/2024_d98ffb20-5fb9-432f-836a-5900696ed52a.pdf
- ↵EU4Green, ‘Guideline on circular business models in Kosovo’, 2023, accessed 25 June 2025, https://mmphi.rks-gov.net/MMPHIFolder/DocumentsFiles/2024_4f390e54-a8a9-45ab-b282-55cebb41fa6f.pdf.
- ↵Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Circular Economy in Kosovo, Bonn, 2023, accessed 25 June 2025, https://www.giz.de/en/downloads/giz2023-en-kosovo-reusable-packaging-systems-and-women-participation.pdf.
- ↵Kosovo Chamber of Commerce, ‘Analysis of the recycling value Chain in Kosovo’, Pristina, 2022, accessed 25 June 2025, https://www.oek-kcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Analysis_of_recycling_value_chain_in_Kosovo_English_version1663590143.pdf.