Zlatko tried to dispose of wood waste in Prilesje, but was turned away by staff. After a call to Horvatovac, his waste was accepted only after pleading, and the problem, he says, is that recycling centers haven't been collecting wood for a month.
A Zagreb resident named Zlatko had an unpleasant surprise when he tried to properly dispose of wood waste from his household. Although the city has urged citizens to separate waste and take it to recycling centers, he faced rejection and confusing messages from staff on the ground.
Zlatko dismantled about ten pieces of a wooden table and shelves and drove them to the recycling center in Prilesje. There, a staff member approached him and said he couldn't leave the wood waste. According to Zlatko, there's even a sign on a wooden board explicitly stating that the recycling center does not accept wood waste.
"I drove about ten pieces of a wooden table and shelves, which I dismantled at home, to the recycling center in Prilesje. I couldn't believe what greeted me there. I parked my car, and a recycling center employee approaches me: 'No, no, you can't leave wood waste at the recycling center! Here's an example that something's wrong in this city,' Zlatko told Zagreb.info.
After being turned away in Prilesje, Zlatko called the recycling center in Horvatovac to check if he could leave his waste there. He got a similar response: the employee told him they were full and that wood hadn't been hauled away for a month. Only after pleading did the employee agree to accept his wood waste.
"There, the man told me: 'No, we're full, we haven't hauled wood in a month, I can't accept it.' Somehow I begged him, 'Please, I don't have much.' Luckily, he accepted my wood waste," Zlatko said.
Zlatko wonders what's happening with Zagreb's waste management system. He says the city encourages recycling and waste separation, but on the ground, recycling centers don't accept electronic or wood waste. He doesn't know who's responsible, but he thinks it's not normal.
"Now I ask myself, what's going on? The city encourages us to recycle, separate, take it to recycling centers, and this is already who knows what type of waste that isn't accepted. They don't accept electronic waste, they don't accept wood, so what do they accept? I don't know who's to blame or responsible, but this isn't normal," he emphasized.
Zlatko says it really angers him when people dump various waste next to bins, including goods, plastic, and construction waste. However, he also understands the frustration of those who did it because they can't access recycling centers. He believes citizens aren't responsible for the system's malfunction and should keep waste at home until recycling centers start working.
"I've read how people complain they do it because they can't get into the recycling center, but I still think you should keep it all at home as long as you can, until the recycling centers start working. On the other hand, someone more prone to rebellion and protest, it's clear why they did it. Here, it's on the road, take it away. People aren't responsible or to blame for how the system functions," Zlatko concluded.
Zagreb.info has sent inquiries to Zagreb Holding and the Environmental Protection Fund. Responses will be published once received.
