Zagreb installs underground waste containers at Ban Jelačić Square

Ban Jelačić Square underground waste containers Zagreb waste management Ministry of Culture HDZ-Možemo dispute

The Ministry of Culture of Croatia said that the installation of underground waste containers on Ban Jelačić Square, a protected historic area in the centre of Zagreb, must be detailed in a municipal ordinance, which the city has not yet adopted. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Spatial Planning Branko Bačić added that the project also requires the consent of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments.

Opposition leader Ivan Matijević of the HDZ criticised the works as a political devastation of a national historic symbol, comparing them to the 1947 removal of a statue. The governing coalition platform Mo Možemo responded, arguing that it has already installed dozens of underground containers across Zagreb, is building a modern waste‑treatment centre in Resnik, and plans to close the Jakuševec landfill by 2029.

Public reaction on social media was mixed, with some residents seeing the containers as a normal sight in Croatian towns and others expressing concern about tourism and heritage. The broader waste‑management plan for Zagreb includes a €50 million investment to keep the Jakuševec site operational until its planned closure.

Entities: Ban Jelačić Square · Branko Bačić · City of Zagreb · Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) · Ivan Matijević · Ministry of Culture of Croatia · Tomislav Tomašević · Zagreb

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[○ 1 SOURCE] Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Branko Bačić stated the bin placement is not covered by Zagreb’s spatial plan and must follow the Simple Buildings Regulation, requiring a municipal decision. (Minister Branko Bačić)
[● 3 SOURCES] Možemo says it is preparing a modern waste‑processing centre with sorting and composting facilities, planned to open in 2‑3 years to enable closure of the Jakuševec landfill. (Možemo statements)
[● 3 SOURCES] Možemo reports installing underground waste containers at 66 city‑centre locations, including Ban Jelačić Square, and 184 of a planned 750 semi‑underground containers city‑wide. (Možemo statements)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Installation of underground waste containers on Ban Jelačić Square requires consent from the Institute for Protection of Cultural Monuments. (Minister Branko Bačić)
[○ 1 SOURCE] HDZ politician Ivan Matijević publicly condemned mayor Tomislav Tomašević's plan, calling the bins a political devastation and comparing it to the 1947 monument removal. (HDZ statement)
[● 2 SOURCES] The Ministry of Culture indicated that interventions in protected cultural‑historical areas must be detailed in the communal‑order decision rather than granted individual approvals. (Ministry of Culture)
[● 2 SOURCES] Zagreb has not adopted the Ministry of Culture's guidelines for underground waste bins on Ban Jelačić Square into a communal‑order decision. (Ministry of Culture)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Zagreb is carrying out an unprecedented number of summer construction projects in 2026, causing traffic disruptions across the city. (City reports)