Grant Agreement, No. 101023125
Kick-off meeting
Kick-off meeting of the Project "Improvement of Data on Plastic Waste in Croatia (HRPWD)", was held and organized by the Institute for Environment and Nature Protection in the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development (MESD Institute). The project will be implemented for 18 months, with a total value of 142,978.24 EUR, with the European Union financing a share of up to 90%, through the Grant Agreement.
The meeting was held online due to the implementation of epidemiological measures. Representatives of the Sector for Sustainable Waste Management in the MESD, of the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund (Fund), the Croatian Chamber of Economy (CCE) and of the MESD Institute were present.
Opening statement was given by Đurđica Požgaj, Head of the Waste and Sectoral Pressures Service at the MESD Institute, who also presented a brief overview of the activities of the Service, including information on the implementation of statistical research on food waste and the activities initiated on amendments of the Ordinance on the Register of Environmental Pollution.
HRPWD project and planned project activities were presented by the project manager, Jasna Kufrin. Objective of the project is to improve data and statistics on the consumption of plastic products and waste, which need to be reported in accordance with the obligations of the three Directives of the European Union and their implementing regulations: Directive 94/62/EC on Packaging and Packaging Waste, Directive (EU) 2015/720 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2015 amending Directive 94/62/EC as regards reducing the consumption of lightweight plastic carrier bags and the Directive (EC) 2019/904 on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment.
Project activities will include the analysis of available data, as well as the preparation of the methodology for data collection, the necessary calculations and estimates. In cooperation with collaborative institutions, priority data will be selected, which will be subject to statistical research or other methods of collecting data. Upon preparation of the necessary analyses and calculations, the results of the project will be published and available to the public on the Project's website – through the "Report on the Consumption of Certain Products, Generation and Management of Plastic Waste", accompanying data reviews and GIS products.
Participants expressed their support for the initiated project. During the discussion, participants presented proposals regarding additional data sources or information on projects and activities, which are already being implemented or planned in relation to the topic on packaging and SUP products.
Ms Aleksandra Anić Vučinić (Advisor to the Director of the Fund) informed about the conducted and planned activities of the Geotechnical Faculty regarding the share of SUP products in waste discarded on public areas (including sea beaches). Ms Anić Vučinić further indicated that similar activities to this Projects’ are planned within the Fund's planned analyses on recycling and losses, and also analyses to be carried out by the Croatian Employers' Association, related to the adaptation of the tobacco industry to SUP directives.
Ms Dijana Varlec (CCE) suggested that several CCE associations should be informed about the project, especially the economic groupation covering the food sector, for which the application of the SUP directive will be a big challenge. She also emphasized the need to update the Waste Catalogue in terms of differentiating waste by different polymeric materials, i.e. SUP products.
Ms Gordana Pehnec Pavlović (CCE) stressed the importance of ensuring the recognition of certain types of plastics by collecting data, so that the investment directions for plastic processing can be decided. Ms Pehnec Pavlović also informed about a tool developed through a project of European plastic processors, which, through professional associations, monitors the installation of recyclate in new products.
Mr Zvonimir Majić (Fund) presented some results of the conducted analyses, which indicate the need to improve the data on the quantities of packaging placed on the market, which are now below realistic values. Opportunities to improve the system are opened by the new Waste Management Act to be adopted soon (wider coverage of obligors by establishing a Registry for Special Categories of Waste, tackling "free-riders", including "long-distance" sellers). Mr Majić also drew attention about the certain amount of waste that is subject to collection outside the system organized by the Fund.
In the coming period, the project team will also connect with other relevant institutions or business groups, and through individual meetings provide additional data and information important for improving the data collection system and quality project implementation