With the signing of the memorandum of cooperation between the Macedonian Solid Waste Association (MaSWA) and the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, the annual conference of MaSWA, dedicated to “Implementation of the circular economy in solid waste management”, began.
- I hope that today’s conference will contribute to the strengthening of the sector that works in waste management in our country, measures to improve the situation will be initiated, and all stakeholders will be encouraged on which the successful and practical implementation of the set goals and policies depends – emphasized the Minister of Environment and Physical Planning, Kaja Shukova, in her speech.
According to her, the activities for the implementation of waste management policies in the Republic of North Macedonia will contribute to solving the problems with the inappropriate disposal of waste at municipal and other “wild” dumpsites, and the definition of a platform will facilitate the cooperation of all stakeholders and will enable the presentation of scientific knowledge and practices in the field of waste processing, which will be positively reflected in the country.
At the official opening, the president of MASWA, Mihail Mateski, emphasized:
- Waste management based on the principles of the circular economy is a key topic that must become a priority as soon as possible. It depends on us how quickly we will move things forward in the waste sector, which is important both from the point of view of the environment and also from the point of view of economic development. Waste in the world is considered a resource that can provide additional value to society if managed properly. Our capacity to create a sustainable society and improve the environment depends on the way we treat waste. This issue should be supra-party and supra-national because it affects us all equally.
After the signing of the memorandum of cooperation, the president of the Macedonian Solid Waste Association, Carlos Silva Filho, in his speech emphasized the urgent need to take steps and improve waste management. The dean of the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy from Skopje, Stefan Kuvendziev, expressed the previous support from the academic community and announced the intensification of cooperation with MASWA in the segment of waste management.
Within the framework of the conference, representatives of institutions such as the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, the Public Enterprise Rusino Polog will have their presentations, and the real sector will be represented by several domestic and foreign companies. Representatives of Pacomak, Cementarnica USJE AD Skopje, Grintech MK, Gentem, Guma Tek, Alpako Eco, Maxtil, Zero Waste, Tomra Systems from Norway, Saubermacher – Austria, Blue Planet, and others presented their experiences and knowledge. Several domestic and foreign experts, as well as professors from the Faculty of Mechanical and Technological Metallurgy from Skopje and the University American College from Skopje, will address the conference.
On the first day, panel discussions are devoted to two topics – “Introduction of a deposit system and return of packaging in the Republic of North Macedonia” and “Energy from waste – limitation or benefits of the country?”. During the second day of the conference, the panels will be focused on the topics: “Additional waste streams in extended producer responsibility”, Financing of sustainable waste management systems” and “Youth and science in sustainable waste management solutions”. At this panel, students will present their studies related to the improvement of the waste management system.
In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the operation of MASWA, awards will be given to experts and member companies who have made a special contribution to the development of the organization and the expansion of cooperation, as well as the improvement of waste management in the country.