Waste management challenges and incineration debates in the Western Balkans

Waste management strategies in the Western Balkans are facing scrutiny as governments and investors promote waste-to-energy plants as modern solutions. A study by the CEE Bankwatch Network suggests that incineration models in countries like Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, and Serbia are technically, financially, and ecologically risky. Critics argue that incineration contradicts circular economy principles by destroying materials like paper, plastic, and textiles that could otherwise be recycled, instead converting them into ash and CO2 emissions.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, specifically within the Tuzla Canton, authorities are focusing on addressing the issue of wild landfills through improved primary waste selection and the development of a five-year waste management plan. Anela Ajšić, Minister of Spatial Planning and Environmental Protection for Tuzla Canton, highlighted the opening of the EkoSep inter-municipal landfill as a step toward regional waste management solutions. Efforts are being made to increase household participation in waste separation and strengthen the capacity of municipal companies through better equipment and continuous citizen education.