The City of Split will stop accepting mixed municipal waste from surrounding units as of August 7, with leaders of nine cities and municipalities threatening lawsuits and warning of chaos amid the tourist season.
Starting Friday, August 7, 2026, Split's city-owned company Čistoća will cease accepting mixed municipal waste from surrounding cities and municipalities at the Karepovac landfill. This decision has riled up the leaders of nine local government units in the wider Split area, who have been hauling their waste to the Split landfill for years.
Split's Mayor Tomislav Šuta (HDZ) states that Karepovac is nearly full and that he must prioritize the interests of his constituents. "I have to protect the interests of Split's citizens and enable the city company to dispose of waste at Karepovac, where there truly is no room left for anyone else," Šuta told Slobodna Dalmacija. He emphasized that he has been pleading with representatives of neighboring municipalities for a year to find an alternative.
However, according to Slobodna Dalmacija, for four municipalities on the Makarska Riviera, Brela, Baška Voda, Podgora, and Tučepi, which have been sending their waste to Karepovac for 20 years, the decision has been annulled following their lawsuit. This has created a legal precedent that further complicates an already tense situation.
The most vocal reactions come from Omiš Mayor Zvonko Močić and Dugi Rat Municipality Head Tonči Bauk. Both confirmed to Net.hr that no solution has been found yet, and meetings held on Monday, August 4, yielded no agreement. Močić stresses that the decision comes at the worst possible time and announces a legal battle.
"In this way, our livelihood is being taken away. We will seek our rights through every available means because we have legal rights and documents stating that we cannot be banned from Karepovac until it is completely closed," said Omiš Mayor Zvonko Močić.
Močić added that the leaders of the affected units have aligned on a joint stance. "I've been in touch with colleagues from Baška Voda, and we'll talk to everyone else. We have a unified position, we're going with a lawsuit and defending our rights because we've been put in an impossible situation," he said.
On the other hand, Bauk warns of serious consequences if the issue isn't resolved in time. "We'll all have problems. Specifically, our Peovica Omiš disposes of 6,000 tons of waste at Karepovac. It wouldn't be good if those 6,000 tons ended up on the streets," stated the head of Dugi Rat.
Vlado Pehar, Director of Čistoća Split, confirmed that the landfill's capacity is nearly exhausted. During the tourist season alone, more than 5,500 tons of municipal waste end up at Karepovac. He appealed to citizens to reduce pressure on the landfill until the Waste Management Center in Lećevica opens.
"I would like to appeal to citizens to use separate bins, separate recyclable waste, and dispose of bulky waste at recycling yards because these quantities create immense pressure on the landfill itself," Pehar told Net.hr.
Concern is also growing among citizens. "I don't know what to say, except that it's not normal, just like little is normal in our country. I'm taken aback; I didn't know about this. It's certainly terrible," commented Đurđica from Omiš. Stipe from Dugi Rat, however, believes in a resolution: "Someone has to take care of it. Everything can be negotiated."
