End the garbage crisis in Montenegro – it´s time!

End the garbage crisis in Montenegro – it´s time!

Started
April 11, 2019
Petition to
Ministry of Tourism, Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Region Development Vladimir Martinović
Signatures: 7,198Next Goal: 7,500
Support now

Why this petition matters

Started by #OcistiME!

(Full English version of the petition of 2019 further below)

It took 4.5 years... to take this small step forward
(2019-2023). 
Not enough, and still missing a Deposit Return Scheme. 

Read more here:
https://zerowastemontenegro.me/waste-management-status-montenegro/
and here: http://zerowastemontenegro.me/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Deposit-Return-Scheme-Summary.pdf

Source: https://www.gov.me/en/article/highlights-from-the-68th-cabinet-session 
October 3, 2023: 
* The Cabinet has approved a Draft Law on Waste Management. The proposed law includes several significant measures aimed at reducing environmental impact. It bans the use of lightweight plastic bags (with a thickness of 15 to 50 microns) for carrying goods at sales points.
* This ban will take effect six months after the law's enactment.
* Thinner plastic bags (up to 15 microns) are permitted for packaging purposes.
* Sellers of thicker plastic bags (50 microns or more) will be required to pay a fee, with the proceeds earmarked for the Environmental Protection Fund.
* These funds will be used exclusively for financing public awareness campaigns and information dissemination regarding the detrimental effects of plastic bags on the environment.

* The proposed law also focuses on aligning Montenegro's waste management practices with European Union directives. Notably, it emphasizes Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs for various waste types, including packaging, electronic equipment, batteries, vehicles, tires, single-use plastic products, and plastic-containing fishing gear. Under EPR, importers and producers in Montenegro will be legally responsible for the entire process of collecting and disposing of these types of waste.

* The Cabinet has decided to establish a state-level inspection authority tasked with overseeing the implementation of local municipal waste management plans. This initiative aims to enhance the effectiveness and compliance of waste management practices throughout the country.

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Zabranimo jednokratne plastične kese i okončajmo krizno stanje sa odlaganjem smeća u Crnoj Gori – vrijeme je!

Plastične kese za jednokratnu upotrebu koriste se samo nekoliko minuta, a zatim se bacaju. Svaki građanin Crne Gore koristi otprilike 730 plastičnih kesa za jednokratnu upotrebu godišnje (napravimo poređenje sa Austrijom, čiji stanovnici potroše po 48), a iste se ne recikliraju. Ono što još pogoršava situaciju je to što se većina njih ne može reciklirati! Dakle, u «najboljem slučaju», ako ne završe u prirodi, nagomilavaju se na deponijama, koja mahom ne ispunjavaju propise. Isto se događa sa plastičnim bocama za jednokratnu upotrebu, koje čine 40-60% zagađenja. Pejzažna slika šalje jasnu poruku: plastika je svuda - kese vise na drveću, prazne plastične boce se nalaze po stazama, putevima i u vodama.

Zero Waste Montenegro (ZWMNE) podnijela je nacionalnu peticiju u novembru 2017. godine kako bi se jednom zauvijek zabranila upotreba jednokratnih plastičnih kesa u zemlji. Ministarstvo održivog razvoja i turizma potvrdilo je spremnost za saradnju sa nama na spovođenju zabrane plastičnih kesa u Crnoj Gori, ali na tome je ostalo.

U međuvremenu, svijet se radikalno promjenio kada je upotreba jednokratne plastike u pitanju. Sve više zemalja uvodi zabrane i druge restriktivne mjere. Trenutno u Crnoj Gori, lokalna čišćenja od strane građana pojedinaca izgledaju kao pokušaji da se vodi rat iz kojeg ne mogu izaći kao pobjednici. Od decembra 2018. godine, naša zemlja je kandidat za članstvo u EU, a time ima i obavezu poštovanja zahtjeva iz Poglavlja 27.

U procjeni EU-a iz 2017. godine navedeno je: «Carina na plastične kese već postoji, ali to se naplaćuje na prodajnom mjestu potrošačima i nalazi se na relativno niskom nivou.» (Izvor ovdje). Činjenica da se jednokratne plastične kese naplaćuju u većini velikih marketa, očito nije uticala na smanjenje upotrebe ovih kesa, obzirom da se one i dalje koriste, možda čak i više nego ikada.

Obzirom da se ništa ne mijenja, kvalitet života vidljivo trpi, a i međunarodna konkurentnost kao turističke destinacije utemeljene na prirodi i kulturi polako nestaje, pa mi po hitnom postupku ponavljamo peticiju Ministarstvu ekologije, prostornog planiranja i urbanizma, sa više detalja o tome u pismu bivšem Ministru održivog razvoja i turizma od 22. februara 2019., a koje je poslalo udruženje Zero Waste Montenegro: 

http://www.zerowastemontenegro.me/public-letter-to-the-minister-plastic-bags-ban

1) Zabraniti jednokratnu uporabu plastičnih kesa i uvesti alternative do kraja 2021. godine.

2) Za jednokratne plastične boce, uvesti šemu povrata depozita (Deposit Refund Scheme), koja je dokazana kao najuspješniji pristup u mnogim zemljama. Šema DRS-a može imati veliki uticaj na smanjenje otpada u Crnoj Gori. Dobro sprovedena i dobro upravljana šema depozita ne košta više od 0,01 € po boci, koju finansiraju sami proizvođači.

Često čujemo od Uprave za upravljanje otpadom da EU ne zahtjeva potpunu zabranu jednokratnih plastičnih kesa, pa zašto bi to Crna Gora trebala učiniti? ZWMNE se ne slaže s ovom procjenom, a evo i zašto:

Većina zemalja EU možda ne trebaju potpunu zabranu, jer

1. Već su smanjili potrošnju plastičnih kesa na relativno nizak nivo, kroz dobrovoljne inicijative i visoku svijest potrošača (pogledajte primjer Austrije sa 48 kesa godišnje po osobi) i

2. Budući da imaju razvijen sistem recikliranja i jako niske stope bacanja otpada oni su sigurni da ni tih 48 kesa neće završiti u prirodi.

Ovo je daleko od slučaja koji imamo u Crnoj Gori. Zato, uskoro moramo zabraniti plastične kese i ublažiti troškove koje stvaraju sljedeća pitanja:

  • začepljene kanalizacija sa posljedicama (rizici od poplava, visoki troškovi čišćenja po opštinama)
  • zagađena priroda i njen negativan uticaj na rastuću turističku industriju
  • dugoročna oštećenja crnogorske netaknute biološke raznolikosti
  • mikroplastika koja ulazi u naš prehrambeni lanac (posebno u širokoj upotrebi okso-razgradivih kesa; Evropska hemijska agencija nedavno je podnijela prijedlog ograničenja za mikroplastiku).

Mnoge turističke destinacije razumjele su hitnost sa ekološkog, ekonomskog i društvenog aspekta i ne prestaju sa akcijama tamo gdje su zakonski zahtjevi ispunjeni, već reaguju sistemski i uspješno grade načela održivosti, a time poboljšavaju svoj pozitivan ugled. Smatramo da je za Crnu Goru vrijeme da se počne ponašati slično kako bi očuvala svoju titulu “ekološke države”. Primjeri:

  • Kostarika, u pogledu ekoturizma, ne samo da ima 25% svoje teritorije kao zvanično zaštićeno područje, već je počela raditi na tome da postane prva zemlja na svijetu koja planira da do 2021. godine potpuno iskorijeni upotrebu jednokratne plastike, u čemu su javne institucije imale veliku ulogu. https://thecostaricanews.com/use-of-plastics-in-public-institutions-of-costa-rica-is-restricted-from-now-on/
  • Slovenija, još jedan međunarodno nagrađivani lider u održivom turizmu za svoju nacionalnu Zelenu šemu, je jedna od najuspješnijih zemalja u Evropi kada je u pitanju nulti otpad (zero waste), a ispunila je ciljeve iz projekta EU 2020 o Recikliranju, i to prije četiri godine. Ljubljana postiže rezultate koji prevazilaze nacionalne i stremi ka tome da postane prijestonica nultog otpada u Evropi.
  • Njemačka, od jula 2021. zabranit će se jednokratni plastični proizvodi poput pribora za jelo za jednokratnu upotrebu, slamki i štapića za miješanje. Prodaja čaša i spremnika za jednokratnu upotrebu od stiropora također više neće biti dozvoljena. Odgovarajući pravilnik treba stupiti na snagu 3. jula 2021. godine. Pored toga, proizvođači i trgovci sada moraju sudjelovati u troškovima čišćenja za odlaganje jednokratnog otpada u parkove i na ulice. Do sada su troškove čišćenja plaćali građani samo putem komunalnih naknada. Zakon o provedbi Okvirne direktive EU o otpadu stupio je na snagu 29. oktobra 2020. godine.
    Od početka 2022. godine trgovci više neće moći dijeliti lagane plastične vreće za nosače svojim kupcima.

• Većina (87%) globalnih putnika želi putovati održivo (Izvor ovdje). No, kada na Google-u pretražujete Montenegro + smeće, rezultat je 22.800.000 članaka i slika koje prikazuju vrlo tužnu stvarnost kod nas!

Šta mislite o ovakvoj viziji budućnosti? Crna Gora će postati lider na Balkanu u smislu upravljanja otpadom/nultim otpadom, sa vidljivim dokazima do 2030. godine!

#OčistiME! je neformalna skupina građana koji žele da Crna Gora bude čista. Pratite nas kako izvještavamo o krizi u pogledu odlaganja smeća u Crnoj Gori i hrabrim poduhvatima građana pojedinaca, koji se ponašaju kao pravi heroji! Budite i vi dio naše zajednice! Pošaljite nam svoje fotografije, upotrijebite naš #, podijelite informacije sa prijateljima i brinite o svojoj zemlji! Ovo je naša molba za zabranu jednokratnih plastičnih kesa i molba da učinimo mnogo više za zaštitu «Divlje ljepote».

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Ban single-use plastic bags and end the garbage crisis in Montenegro – it´s time!

Single-use plastic bags are used only for a few minutes and then thrown away. Each citizen of Montenegro uses ca. 730 single-use plastic bags per year (compared to Austria: 48), and none are recycled. What makes things even worse is that most of them are not even recyclable! So, in the “best” case, if they do not end up in nature, they are piled up in landfills. The same happens with single-use plastic bottles, which comprise 40-60% of litter.
A look into the landscape sends a clear message: plastic is everywhere – bags hanging in trees, bottles filling paths, roadsides and waters.

Zero Waste Montenegro (ZWMNE) submitted a national petition in November 2017 to ban once and for all single-use plastic bags in the country. The (now former) Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism, confirmed their willingness to work with us on the implementation of a ban of plastic bags in Montenegro.

In the meanwhile, the world has moved radically against single-used plastics. More and more countries introduce bans and other restrictive measures. Currently in Montenegro, local clean-ups by citizens try to fight a war they cannot win. Since December 2018, this EU candidate country has the obligation to fulfil the acquis Chapter 27 requirements.

The EU assessment of 2017 stated: “A duty on plastic bags already exists, but this is not levied at the point of sale to consumers, and is at a relatively low level” (Source here.) The fact that plastic bags should be paid for in most major supermarket chains only has obviously not reduced the use of single-use plastic bags.

After seeing little change, the quality of life visibly suffering and the international competitiveness as a nature- and culture-based tourism destination diminishing, we update and urgently repeat this petition to the Ministry of Ecology, Spatial Planning and Urbanism - with more details in the public letter to the former Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism of 22 February 2019, sent by Zero Waste Montenegro: http://www.zerowastemontenegro.me/public-letter-to-the-minister-plastic-bags-ban

1) Ban single-use plastic bags and introduce alternatives by the end of 2021.

2) For bottles, introduce a Deposit Refund Scheme, proven as the most successful approach in many countries. A DRS scheme can have a great impact on littering reduction in Montenegro. A well-implemented and well managed deposit scheme doesn’t cost more than 0,01€ per bottle, which are financed by the producers themselves.

We often hear from the Waste Management Directorate that EU does not demand a complete ban on plastic bags, so why should Montenegro do it? ZWMNE disagrees with this assessment and here is why:

Most EU countries may actually not need a full ban, because
1. They already have reduced their consumption of plastic bags to a fairly low level, through voluntary initiatives and high consumer awareness (see the example of Austria with 48 bags/year/person) and
2. because they have a developed a recycling system and extremely low littering rate that makes it possible for those 48 bags not to leak in the environment. This is far from being the case in Montenegro. That is why we need to ban plastic bags soon and mitigate the costs of the following issues: 

  • Clogged sewers with its consequences (risks of floods, high clean-up costs to municipalities)
  • Littered nature and its negative impact on the growing tourism industry
  • Long-term damages to the Montenegrin pristine biodiversity
  • Micro-plastics entering our food chain (especially though the wide use of oxo-degradable bags; the European Chemical Agency has recently submitted a restriction proposal on micro-plastics)

Many other tourism destinations have understood the urgency from the ecological, economic and social point of view and don´t stop where the legal requirements end, but systematically and successfully build on principles of sustainability and grow their positive reputation. We think that for Montenegro, it is time to do start doing similarly and keeping the promise of an  “ecological state”. Examples:

  • Costa Rica, reference in ecotourism, claims not only 25% of its surface as protected areas but has started work to become the world´s first country to eradicate all single-use plastics by 2021. Public institutions took the lead:
    https://thecostaricanews.com/use-of-plastics-in-public-institutions-of-costa-rica-is-restricted-from-now-on/
  • Slovenia, another internationally awarded leader in sustainable tourism (for its national Green Scheme), is also the top performing country in Europe in Zero Waste , having met the EU 2020 recycling targets four years ago. Ljubljana offers results going beyond the national ones and committed to become a Zero Waste capital.
  • From July 2021, Germany will ban disposable plastic products such as single-use cutlery, straws and stir sticks. The sale of to-go cups and disposable containers made of styrofoam will also no longer be allowed. The corresponding ordinance is to come into force on July 3, 2021. In addition, manufacturers and retailers now have to share in the cleaning costs for disposing of disposable waste in parks and on streets. Up until now, the cleaning costs were paid for by the citizens alone through communal fees. The law implementing the EU Waste Framework Directive came into force on October 29, 2020. From the beginning of 2022, retailers will no longer be allowed to give out lightweight plastic carrier bags to their customers.

The majority (87%) of global travellers want to travel sustainably (Source here). But when you Google Montenegro + garbage the result are 22,800,000 articles and pictures showing the very sad realities here.

What do you think about this vision for the future? Montenegro to become an evidence-based leader in the Balkans in term of waste management / zero waste by 2030!

#OčistiME! is an informal group of people who want Montenegro to clean up. Follow us as we report on the garbage crisis in Montenegro & the citizen heroes cleaning it up. Be a part of the community! Send us your photos, use our hashtag, help share and care! This is our petition to ban single use plastic bags & to do more - for taking care of the Wild Beauty.

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Signatures: 7,198Next Goal: 7,500
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Decision Makers

  • Vladimir MartinovićMinistry of Tourism, Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Region Development