At the peak of the tourist season, waste volumes surge to 1,200 tons per month, prompting Komunalac workers to adopt extraordinary schedules and start earlier to beat the heat and traffic.
With the arrival of summer and the influx of tourists to the Liburnia region, the municipal utility company Komunalac faces a doubled workload. During the peak season in July and August, nearly 1,200 tons of waste are collected monthly-twice the 600 tons collected in winter. To keep up with the increased pressure, the first teams head out as early as 5 a.m.
Head of the Service Work Unit, Sandro Pecman, highlights that summer months bring a host of challenges. "The heat doesn't help our workers who are out in the field and most exposed to direct sunlight. Summer also brings traffic congestion and delays due to the higher number of people and tourists. There's simply more waste in summer than in winter," he told Novi list.
Beyond the sheer volume of waste, the number of transfers and the time spent emptying containers have also increased significantly. Pecman explains that the system is under more strain day by day compared to winter, with additional collection routes introduced in Mošćenička Draga, Lovran, and Opatija, requiring extra vehicles and personnel.
To get the job done as efficiently as possible, workers start at dawn. "The first teams hit the road at 5 a.m. (except in the Municipality of Matulji), which allows us to avoid the worst of the heat and traffic as much as possible and get most of the work done. It's crucial to maintain consistency in the waste collection schedule so residents know when to expect the utility vehicle and can avoid missing a pickup," Pecman explains.
Tomislav Šprem, foreman of the Collection Organizational Unit, adds that this practice doesn't change even in winter. "We don't alter the 5 a.m. start even during the winter months, because people are heading to work in the morning, and schools and kindergartens are also active. So we aim to complete collections between 5 and 7 a.m., as it makes our job easier and reduces the chances of 'battles' on the road with other vehicles," Šprem said.
To respond to the pressure, extraordinary and more frequent container emptying schedules have been introduced in Opatija, Lovran, and Mošćenička Draga. In the Municipality of Matulji, where the impact of tourism is less pronounced, the usual collection rhythm has been maintained. In tourist hubs, the number of on-duty workers is also increased, who more intensively empty bins and remove improperly disposed waste to prevent unpleasant odors and maintain cleanliness.
Field workers like Danijel Hrvatin from Veli Brgud and Dean Maršanić from Podhum note that summer poses greater challenges in navigating congested, narrow streets and working under direct sunlight. Due to high temperatures, they are allowed more frequent, shorter breaks in the shade to reduce the risk of heat stress.
Pecman has also observed that waste sorting tends to be poorer in summer, which he attributes to a combination of carelessness and the varied habits of tourists from other regions and abroad. "Communication with users is extremely important-through newspapers, social media, and, when possible, direct contact," emphasized Šprem, while Pecman concludes "that the cleanliness of Liburnia is a shared responsibility for all of us."
