The updated Spatial Plan envisions Montenegro with four regional sanitary landfills, a reduction from the earlier goal of eight inter-municipal facilities. The plan aims to enhance the existing sanitary landfills in Podgorica and Bar while establishing two new sites in Nikšić and Bijelo Polje, with their exact locations to be decided through forthcoming municipal spatial and urban plans. Additionally, the plan advocates for increased waste recycling across all municipalities to minimize the waste directed to regional landfills.

The Strategic Environmental Assessment Report regarding the Spatial Plan indicates that the waste management issue is among Montenegro’s most pressing environmental challenges, attributed to numerous illegal landfills, inadequate recycling efforts, and sanitary landfill locations that do not fully align with European standards.

“Without well-defined objectives and the requisite infrastructure for waste management, the situation could worsen, leading to persistent pollution of land, water, and air and potential international sanctions,” the document warns.

It highlights significant discrepancies in waste generation data nationwide, noting the absence of a monitoring system, lack of information on waste composition, and a lack of reliable statistics on the quantities of recyclable materials processed by both official and unofficial sectors.

The prior Spatial Plan proposed inter-municipal landfills in Herceg Novi, Kotor-Tivat, Berane, and Rožaje, which are no longer included. Instead, the focus has shifted to establishing recycling centers and transfer stations, where residual waste that is not recyclable would be sent to the nearest sanitary landfill.

Thousands of tons of waste end up in the sea

The plan outlines measures prohibiting the disposal of waste into the sea, eliminating existing coastal landfills, and remediating or removing current waste accumulations.

“The southeastern Adriatic, which incorporates Montenegro, is recognized as a ‘hot spot’ for waste pollution. The breakdown by waste category suggests that artificial polymers (plastics) constitute at least 80% of the pollution. Assessments indicate that waste accumulation in coastal shallow areas, such as the Bay of Kotor, is significantly greater than in the open sea. It is estimated that plastic waste reaching the sea from Montenegro ranges between 662 and 1,766 tons annually. Without improvements in land-based waste management, projections suggest this figure could escalate to between 1,086 and 2,897 tons by 2040,” the plan warns.

Proposals include remediating existing municipal waste landfills along the coast to prevent leaching and the infiltration of toxic substances into the sea through groundwater. The plan names seven active landfills that contribute waste to the sea: “Lovanja I and II” in Tivatsko Polje, the unauthorized landfill on Orjen, the landfills “Pode” and “Dugonja”, the landfill “Ćafe” on Volujica, and the old Ulcinj landfill “Hije” near Kruče, along with several smaller sites.

“Unregulated (wild) solid waste dumps near coastlines and inland must be identified and remediated, while measures to prevent solid waste from entering the marine environment should be implemented,” the guidelines for local authorities specify.

Additionally, it is noted that there are waste dumps along rivers and in protected areas that need to be cleared and rehabilitated.

In 2022, only 1.8 percent of waste was recycled

The plan highlights the targets established in the 2016 Law on Waste Management, aiming for at least 30% of municipal waste and 50% of construction waste to be recycled by 2030. These objectives align with Montenegro’s environmental and waste management commitments for EU accession.

According to Monstat data for 2022, a mere 1.8% of waste was recycled in Montenegro.

The Spatial Plan asserts that the waste management condition is unsatisfactory due to inadequate infrastructure and funding needed to facilitate the recycling process.

“Data reveals that recycling centers are not functioning at full capacity, meaning that much of the collected waste is not processed through sorting systems but instead is sent to landfills,” the Plan concludes.

Over 330 illegal dumps

Every municipality and nearly all urban centers feature unregulated waste disposal sites, posing significant environmental pressure.

“In total, over 330 unregulated landfills have been identified, although 78 have been remediated in the last three years. Remediation has been completed for the unregulated landfills ‘Čarkovo polje’ in Žabljak, ‘Vrtijeljka’ in Cetinje, ‘Vasove vode’ in Berane, ‘Zaugline’ in Šavnik, ‘Komarača’ in Plav, along with numerous smaller sites,” the Plan reports.

The need to select all sanitary landfill locations, as well as facilities for managing various types of waste, is underscored. It’s recommended that adjacent municipalities collaborate to manage municipal and non-hazardous construction waste in compliance with municipal activity regulations.

Guidelines suggest expanding existing sanitary landfills “Možura” near Bar and “Livada” in Podgorica, constructing new sanitary facilities, implementing systems for converting landfill gas into electricity, developing leachate treatment plants, and establishing and enhancing sorting and composting centers.

Expanding the recycling network and scope

“In municipalities where recycling yards haven’t been constructed yet, it is essential to build them (in Andrijevica, Gusinje, Kolašin, Petnjica, Plav, Pljevlja, and Rožaje). Furthermore, Bar, Nikšić, and Bijelo Polje, designated as regional waste management centers, need recycling facilities. The number of recycling yards will be determined by the population size in the respective municipalities. Transfer stations are also planned for northern municipalities: in Plužine, Šavnik, Pljevlja, Kolašin, Berane, and Rožaje. It is encouraged that municipalities assess their needs for transfer stations based on a feasibility study,” the Report on the Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment of the Spatial Plan states.

Centers for the disposal or processing of varying waste types are also proposed. Recommendations include establishing a center for animal waste in Nikšić or Bijelo Polje, facilities for medical waste near clinical centers and hospitals, and a thermal processing plant for sewage sludge in Podgorica. Each municipality should have designated locations for construction waste disposal, waste tires in Bar and Podgorica, end-of-life vehicles in Podgorica, Bar, and Berane, and electronic waste in Podgorica, Nikšić, Bar, and Bijelo Polje.

The document notes that in 2022, a list of unregulated landfills revealed 12 sites in Andrijevica, identical numbers in Bar, 39 in Berane, 106 in Bijelo Polje, three in Budva, 15 in Cetinje, two in Danilovgrad, five each in Gusinje and Herceg Novi, 20 in Kotor, seven in Kolašin and Mojkovac, 12 in Nikšić, nine in Plav, 13 in Plužine, 30 in Petnjica, six in Pljevlja, eight in Rožaje, three in Šavnik, five in Tivat, 19 in Ulcinj, and four in Žabljak, with no data available for Podgorica (including Tuzi and Zeta).

Processing opportunities for new markets and jobs

The analysis highlights significant potential in Montenegro to enhance waste collection and management, transforming it into a resource for developing new markets and generating jobs, all while mitigating environmental impact.

“In the upcoming years until 2040, it is crucial to establish processing for recycled materials at regional centers, allowing local governments to efficiently manage municipal waste. This initiative would also generate financial resources through the sale of processed recycled materials. It is estimated that from 2020 to 2040, 66,458 tons of recyclable components will be separated in accordance with the EU Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste, aiming for an efficiency increase of up to 50%,” the Strategic Assessment Report states.

News