Croatia's bio‑waste recycling hampered by scarce compost facilities, says agronomy professor

Agronomy professor Neven Voća told HINA that bio‑waste should be treated as a valuable organic resource for Croatian agriculture, not as a problem to be eliminated. He warned that the country lacks sufficient processing plants, particularly modern closed‑type composting facilities, and that the existing legislative and administrative framework restricts their operation.

Voća criticized the State Inspectorate's “very restrictive” measures that have led to the closure or reduced capacity of several composting sites. He explained that the Ministry’s calculation of maximum composting capacity assumes a minimum process time of 56 days, ignoring longer possible durations, mass loss during decomposition, and seasonal waste fluctuations. As a result, separated bio‑waste may end up in landfills or be processed abroad.

The professor advocated for expanding technologically advanced compost plants, citing the closed‑type facility in Osijek as a positive example, and also highlighted sludge (mulj) as an additional agricultural resource.