Polymer packaging waste management in the Republic Croatia : bachelor thesis

Ambalaža predstavlja svaki proizvod koji se upotrebljava za čuvanje i transport sirovina i gotovih proizvoda. Polimeri se zbog svojih povoljnih svojstava, lakog oblikovanja te male gustoće često koriste za izradu ambalaže. Proizvodnja polimerne ambalaže raste, a time i količina polimernog ambalažnog otpada. U 2019. godini u Republici Hrvatskoj više od 50% ambalaže završilo je na odlagalištima od čega je preko 17% plastične ambalaže. Neadekvatno odlaganje polimernog otpada zajedno sa polimernom ambalažom, predstavlja velik ekološki problem današnjice, kako u svijetu tako i u Republici Hrvatskoj. Osim štetnog utjecaja na okoliš, odlaganje ambalažnog otpada sa svojim vrijednim materijalnim i energetskim svojstvima ima negativan utjecaj na ekonomiju. Kao članica Europske unije Hrvatska je dužna ispunjavati zahtjeve i visoke standarde gospodarenja polimernim otpadom te u korisne svrhe koristiti novac iz EU fondova. Glavni cilj Europske unije jest ostvariti kružno gospodarstvo, odnosno odbačeni ambalažni otpad oporabiti te ponovno koristiti. Na taj način smanjuje se količina otpada i emisija štetnih plinova te utrošak resursa (ušteda sirovina). Kako bi se riješio problem otpada općenito, treba razviti dobar sustav gospodarenja otpadom, odnosno odvojenog prikupljanja te njegove ponovne uporabe u materijalne ili energetske svrhe. U ovome radu provedena je analiza gospodarenja polimernim ambalažnim otpadnom u Republici Hrvatskoj temeljem službeno dostupnih podataka.Packaging is any product used for storage and transport of raw materials and finished products. Polymers are often used for packaging due to their favorable properties, easy shaping and low density. The production of polymer packaging is growing, and with it the amount of polymer packaging waste. In 2019, in the Republic of Croatia, more than 50% of the packaging ended up in landfills, of which over 17% was plastic packaging. Inadequate disposal of polymer waste, together with polymer packaging, is a major environmental problem today, both in the world and in the Republic of Croatia. In addition to the harmful impact on the environment, the disposal of packaging waste with its valuable material and energy properties has a negative impact on the economy. As a member of the European Union, Croatia is obliged to meet the requirements and high standards of polymer waste management and to use money from EU funds for useful purposes. The main goal of the European Union is to achieve a circular economy, which means to recover and reuse discarded packaging waste. In this way, the amount of waste and emissions of harmful gases and the consumption of resources (the saving of raw materials) are reduced. A good waste management system should be developed in order to solve the problem of waste in general. In this paper, an analysis of polymer packaging waste management in the Republic of Croatia is performed, based on officially available data