[REVISION HISTORY]

Waste management and illegal dumping in the Balkans

Updated 17 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-10-14 21:12 UTC → 2026-10-24 11:11 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Illegal waste disposal remains a persistent issue in Croatia and the wider Balkans. In addition to construction waste being abandoned in forests and roadsides in Kotoriba and Mraclin, new reports indicate that illegal dumping is resurfacing in several areas despite cleanup efforts. In Rijeka, Croatia, a site at Pehlin near a recycling yard has seen massive accumulations of waste only months after a major cleanup in March. Similarly, in Veliki Radinci, Serbia, a previously remediated landfill site has once again become a dumping ground. In the Gorski Kotar region, an abandoned structure at Ravno Podolje has become a massive illegal landfill. Recent developments highlight urban challenges in Zagreb, where the Maksimir district faces persistent dumping in an area described as a ‘Bermuda Triangle’ of waste. Spanning approximately 10,000 square meters across locations such as Vlaha Bukovca Square and Eisenhuthova Street, the zone has required 155 emergency interventions by the waste management service, Čistoća, this year alone. Residents report that these issues have persisted for three years without a permanent solution. Environmental risks have escalated with the discovery of 6,500 tons of hazardous waste at the former Kukalj quarry in Benkovac. A USKOK investigation has expanded to include five individuals and four companies, revealing that at least 6,475 tons of heterogeneous waste were buried there. Experts from the University of Varaždin found high concentrations of metals, dissolved organic carbon, and microplastics, noting the mobility of the toxic element antimony. While a stone barrier has limited spread to 150 meters, microplastics have already been detected in soil samples outside the site boundaries. In response, Deputy Prime Minister Branko Bačić announced that the government will bypass public procurement to fast-track the removal of non-hazardous waste and cover buried toxic materials.

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