The citizens of Zagreb deserve better. Zagreb deserves better.
What am I talking about? I'm talking about all the waste that sits and waits to be collected on the street. I'm talking about how when us good citizens try and help the country, nay the Earth, by separating waste, that waste fills up the designated bins and waits there for days, the piles of bags and boxes and bottles next to them getting bigger and bigger until they're finally picked up on a random day.
Besides that I've heard from numerous sources that the trucks mix together different types of separated waste, dump the waste at regular trash dumps and even allow the waste to simply be stolen by third parties or cigani (Romi) who sell it for their own gain. I've even seen and recorded a truck (that didn't belong to Holding) taking paper from a bin and leaving some on the ground behind them. A poor garbage man who happened to be nearby had to pick it up after them.
If you're not Croatian (or from Zagreb) you may wonder: Why don't you call the number on the bins? Maybe you need to so they can empty then sooner.
But that's where you'd be wrong. You see, all the plastic bins in my street had filled up (three of them) and since I didn't have anywhere to put my separated plastic waste I decided to call them. First time I tried I got reconnected, waited and since no one was answering I gave up. Since they were still full a few days later, I called them again. First they hung up on me without me saying a word (?!) then they wouldn't answer for 2 more calls. I had even emailed them several days before and recieved no response. I'm frankly very disappointed in them and cannot believe they run the main waste management in the city.
And this wasn't an isolated case - you can see bins overflowing in any part of Zagreb, even the center. And to think this is our capital.
I ask of ZG Holding and Milan Bandić - the mayor of Zagreb, to change this at once. I also ask the European Comission to aid/interfere if possible. We have already recieved a threat from the EU to improve our waste management by a certain time or we will have to pay the EU a large fine! It is apparent that the people in charge care not for that.
As well as those three, I ask of Zelena Akcija, the most notable eco group in Zagreb, to speak up about this and help as well.
If you live in Zagreb, another part of Croatia or just care about the environment and waste management in general, please sign this petition.
