Waste management crisis affects Serbian cities Čačak and Novi Pazar

Municipalities in western Serbia are facing escalating waste management crises. In Čačak, large quantities of waste have accumulated within the premises of the public utility company JKP ‘Komunalac’. This buildup, which includes bulky waste, has occurred in areas intended for truck parking and garages following a fire at the Duboko landfill and subsequent protests by citizens.

Local officials have raised concerns regarding environmental impacts, such as the potential for pests to migrate to neighboring properties. While 40 million dinars were reportedly allocated for modern waste processing equipment, the machinery has not yet arrived at the site.

Simultaneously, Novi Pazar continues to struggle with the lack of a permanent landfill location following a year-long blockade of the Golo brdo site by local residents. Faruk Suljević, director of JKP ‘Gradska čistoća’, stated that finding a suitable site is difficult due to the proximity of residential areas, riverbeds, and agricultural land. Currently, waste from Novi Pazar is being transported to other cities at a daily cost exceeding 10,000 euros. The Ministry of Environmental Protection has reportedly promised to assist in finding a location and financing a project.