Waste is not garbage: a round table was held on the prevention of waste generation

“Prevention of waste generation” is the name of the round table held on December 19, 2019 in the hall of the Split County Chamber of Economy as part of the Waste is not garbage project.

The round table was moderated by the executive director of the Association for Nature, Environment and Sustainable Development Sunce Gabrijela Medunić-Orlić, and the director of Čistoća Split d.o.o. Lukša Regjo, advisor to Split mayor Krešimir Budiša, Anamarija Puzić from Croatian chamber of Economy, director of ACT Printlab Andrea Vuković Buljan and head of the Environmental law department of Sunce Ivana Krstulović Baković participated in the panel discussion.

Gabrijela Medunić-Orlić pointed out at the very beginning that very little is said about the prevention of waste generation, even though it is a priority according to the Law on Sustainable Waste Management. The director of Čistoća Split d.o.o., Lukša Regjo, said that reducing the waste generation is the most economically advantageous solution. The director of the Split utility company cited finding the most effective measures for non-compliance with the rules, i.e. sanctioning violators, as the biggest challenge. The head of the Environmental Law Department of Sunce, Ivana Krstulović Baković, presented the Association’s activities in this topic and concluded that it is necessary for every citizen to take responsibility for the waste they create.

The advisor to the mayor of Split, Krešimir Budiša, reflected on the ways in which the city acts in accordance with this priority and invited all visitors to reduce the waste generation- both in their homes and in their offices. The director of social enterprise ACT Printlab, Andrea Vuković Buljan, using the example of her organization’s operations, pointed out that a sustainable way of doing business in the business sector is possible and stressed that partners are increasingly accepting standards and measures that enable the creation of as little waste as possible, and thus the sustainability of products.

The round table on waste prevention is the last in a series of public events held as part of the Waste is not Garbage project. In 2019, six thematic public forums were held, as well as 34 educational forums in the city districts and Local Committees of the city of Split.