Zagreb Residents Clear on New Waste System
Sesvete has become the first Zagreb district fully covered by semi-underground containers, but residents are divided over their effectiveness.
Sesvete has become the first Zagreb district fully covered by semi-underground containers, but residents are divided over their effectiveness.
In Sesvete, an entire city district has received semi-underground waste sorting containers, a first for Zagreb. The City of Zagreb announced on Saturday that a total of 96 semi-underground containers have been installed at 32 locations in this part of the city. Replacing old bins, these new containers offer more space, a more pleasant environment, reduced unpleasant odors, and quieter, faster emptying.
They are intended only for paper, plastic, and glass, while other waste is still disposed of in building bins, in special compartments, or at recycling yards. So far, 552 semi-underground containers have been installed across Zagreb at 184 locations, with work ongoing at an additional 17 sites.
Although the City of Zagreb praised the progress in Sesvete, residents on the Facebook profile of the portal Zagreb.info clearly expressed their stance, the tidiness of neighborhoods depends not only on the type of container but primarily on people. "It depends on people's culture. Some places are tidy, others have everything thrown outside the containers," commented one reader.
Others shared similar views. "It will work if people don't leave things next to them, as they already do," "Yes, if people learn about life and city culture," and "Yes, if people are civilized and follow the rules," were among the comments. One reader summed up the core issue: "It's not about the bins, containers, or now these new ones, but about people. Those who have been throwing waste everywhere and leaving it around the bins won't be changed by new containers."
Some residents, however, shared positive experiences. "In our area in Sopot, everything is tidy now," wrote one, while another added: "I lived in Varaždin for a while where there were underground containers with codes around the buildings, very tidy and nice." One comment particularly highlighted multiple benefits: "I have nothing to complain about; since they installed them in my and neighboring neighborhoods, I see it's tidier, nicer, and smells less. If they could also tackle the bio-waste issue, it would be perfect."
Yet, not everyone is convinced of the project's long-term cost-effectiveness. One reader warned of specific problems in the Siget neighborhood: "Unfortunately, semi-underground containers have already shown serious issues. In Siget, some have already cracked, and photos have been submitted. I believe burying them is neither economically nor long-term a good solution because repairs are expensive, and city services react too slowly. Residents deserve a functional and sustainable system, not expensive experiments."
As pointed out, "until residents learn the culture and maintain order and cleanliness themselves, the city will remain a dump," leaving open the question of whether the containers alone will be enough for the desired change.
