“Let’s clean up Serbia” campaign initiated

The meeting of Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning, Oliver Dulić, with mayors and heads of municipalities, held today at the National Assembly in Belgrade, marked the beginning of "Let's clean up Serbia" campaign.

"We gathered here today with a common goal of cleaning up our country. Serbia is filthy and polluted, and its citizens very little aware of this issue, which calls for a clean-up action. The action should unite us all in cleaning up Serbia. The problem of filthy country exists and we need to solve it ", were minister Dulić's opening words.

He has reminded them that any pollution affects the quality of life of citizens and that it is necessary that the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning invests all effort to lower the level of tolerance of the entire society towards environmental pollution. Moreover, he pointed out that the objective of this campaign is not to provide a short-term cleanup of wild landfills, but to provide a lasting solution by improving public awareness of the importance of environment.

"Let's clean up Serbia" campaign has been initiated by the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, and coordinated by the Ministry, placed among the priorities of the Republic of Serbiа.

The Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning has recognized inadequate waste management as one of the most serious threats to environment in Serbia. Problems result from poorly developed infrastructure, but also from bad habits and insufficient care for the environment.

Around 40 per cent of generated municipal (household) waste in Serbia is deposited at wild landfills, and according to the latest inspection report there are 4.481 of them. The remaining 1,24 million tons per year are deposited at 164 officially registered landfills, which unfortunately in most cases represent a problem rather than an adequate solution. As regards industrial waste, the situation is no better, and there is a serious problem of hazardous waste treatment.

Only if the state, economy and citizens stand in unison, can we find the solution to this problem. If we all deposit waste at proper places, such as trashcans, containers, regular landfills, if we separate and recycle waste, if we realize that waste is not trash, but a resource, we can make huge savings, create new workplaces and develop new eco-industry.

This is why the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning has initiated this wide social campaign "Let's clean up Serbia".

The Government of the Republic of Serbia has placed the realization of "Let's clean up Serbia" campaign among its priorities, herewith enabling the use of funds from the National Investment Plan, the Development Fund and the National Employment Service beside the funds coming from the Environmental Protection Fund.