Waste is a global problem that has serious implications for the economy, the environment, and overall living. The traditional economy, which is based on the principle of take, make, use, throw away and pollute, is a model that many countries are abandoning and replacing with a new regenerative approach called circular economy, a closed circular process that at every stage takes care of the waste that should be reduced, recycle and reuse.
From January 1, 2023, the Law on the Management of Additional Waste Streams comes into force. This law regulates the requirements for the protection of the environment and human health by preventing or reducing the negative impacts from the creation and handling of waste textiles, tires, oils, and vehicles, which must be met during the production of textiles, tires, oils and vehicles and collection, reuse, treatment, processing and disposal of the waste generated by them during their lifetime, as well as other issues related to the handling of waste textiles, tires, oils and vehicles by economic operators and other subjects who participate in the production procedures and handling them.
The basic objectives of this law are:
1) reducing the negative impact of textiles, tires, oils, and vehicles and waste from textiles, tires, oils, and vehicles, on the environment and on people’s health;
2) improvement of environmental protection standards by economic operators during the entire life cycle of products, especially during collection, treatment, reuse, processing, and disposal of waste from textiles, tires, oils, and vehicles.
The law brings major changes in the practical handling of waste and imposes serious obligations on producers, consumers, and local authorities, it provides for the prevention of the creation of textile waste, its burning, and the taking of waste textiles and rubber from a merchant. The law provides for the obligations of the mayor, as well “The end user, who creates waste textiles, is obliged to collect and store the created waste textiles separately from mixed municipal waste or other types of waste and hand it over to a merchant, collector of waste products or in collection center or other locations”. The national goal set in the law is optimistic, to collect for 2025: textile waste – 15%.
By widely informing the public about the challenges and obligations that we all face from the threshold of 2023, operators will promptly prepare for the resulting obligations and citizens will adjust their waste management habits.
Project “4R (reduce, recycle, reuse, react)” is supported by the Foundation Open Society – Macedonia.
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8 November 2022