Slovakia’s waste management landscape is undergoing a transformative shift towards a more sustainable and circular economy. This paradigm change is driven by a fundamental rethinking of waste as a resource, aiming for increased recycling rates and efficient resource use.
As part of this evolution, Slovakia has committed to aligning with the European Commission’s monitoring framework, focusing on ten indicators, including the total recycling rate and recycling rates on specific waste streams (e.g. municipal waste, solid waste and packaging waste.
Slovakia’s Commitment for Waste Management
The Slovak government has integrated European Union directives into its national policies, setting ambitious goals for waste recycling and landfill reduction. The point of the directives are to promote initiatives directed at preventing waste production as well as strengthening waste collection and recycling systems.
By 2035, Slovakia aims to achieve the following targets:
- Increase the level of preparation for municipal waste recycling to a minimum of 55% by 2023, 60% by 2030 and 65% by 2035.
- Limit landfilling of municipal waste to 10%
- Increase recycling rates for various packaging waste to 70% by 2030 (with separate targets foreseen for different types of waste such as 55% for plastic and a whopping 85% for paper/cardboard)
Alongside recycling, there is an obligation to set up waste collection separation for various types of waste (bio, hazardous household waste, textiles, and eventually all types of packaging waste)
One of the strategic pillars is the Environmental Policy Strategy of Slovakia until 2030, “Greener Slovakia.” This strategy envisions an economy that maximises the reuse of recycled materials and uses resources efficiently and sustainably. Goals include increasing the recycling rate of municipal waste to 60% by 2030 and reducing landfill rates to 25% by 2035. The focus is on waste production prevention, material use reduction, eco-design of products, and the development of technologies for waste treatment.
Current Situation: Where are We Now?
There is some good and some bad news.
Municipal Waste
Slovakia’s recycling rate for municipal waste increased from 23% to 42.2% between 2016 and 2020. However, the current rate is 12.8 percentage points below the 2025 target of 55%. In further analysis, according to the June 2022 report by the European Environment Agency, the increase in the past years was attributed more to changes in statistical reporting than to enhanced recycling performance.
Packaging Waste
The recycling rate for packaging waste in 2019 was 2.5% above the 2025 target of 65%, with the targets being successfully exceeded for recycling of ferrous metals, glass, and wooden packaging.
Rate of Landfilling
Slovakia’s rate of landfilling municipal waste in 2020 was 49.7%, 39.7% above the target of 10%.
This mixed picture represents the inherent challenges Slovakia faces in addressing the waste management challenges in its transition towards a greener economy.
Challenges in Slovakia’s Waste Management Goals
One significant issue is the high proportion of municipal waste being sent to landfills, of around half of waste still ending up in landfills. To combat this, the government has implemented measures like increasing landfill fees and promoting recycling and reuse.
Another challenge is Slovakia’s high number of municipalities, around 3,000. The complexity of the municipality system presents a unique challenge to efficient waste management with mixed results tied to the specificities of each municipality. In addition, smaller municipalities often struggle with limited resources, impacting the quality of waste collection services and accurate data reporting.
A related issue is the lack of sufficient enforcement mechanisms. For example, despite the clear definition of responsibilities and an action plan, many incentives undertaken for initiatives such as waste separation cover a small number of municipalities.
Another challenge lies in changing consumer behaviour and encouraging businesses to adopt more sustainable practices. Campaigns like Slovakia without plastic bags aim to reduce plastic bag consumption, reflecting the broader goal of waste minimization and environmental conservation. The extended Producer Responsibility schemes also include efforts to assign responsibility to producers and incentivise them to prevent waste at the source and promote environmental friendly product design.
The Road Ahead in Slovakia’s Waste Management Efforts
As Slovakia continues its journey towards effective waste management, there is plenty of hope towards greater progress. Despite the challenges, the nation is making steady efforts towards better waste recycling enforcement systems as well as mechanisms to better incentivise (or sanction) consumers and producers alike.
Some success stories include: Bans in place for landfilling residual and biodegradable waste, high convenience systems in place for recycling as well as improving the separation of paper, metals, plastics and glass, mandatory deposit return systems for a number of drinks packaging, as well as setting up EPR schemes in place for packaging.
These are all positive steps towards further aligning the country with the requirements of a greener economy. However, more initiatives are needed.
Improving waste data systems, embracing new methodologies, and fully implementing EPR schemes are crucial. These steps, combined with enhancing recycling capacities and modernising waste management practices, will not only help Slovakia meet its targets but also contribute to global environmental sustainability efforts. The road ahead is demanding, but with commitment and innovation, Slovakia is well-placed to become a green player in waste management.
References
https://www.enviroportal.sk/uploads/report/9265.pdf
European Topic Centre on Circular Economy and Waste Management & European Topic Centre on Climate Change Mitigation and Energy (2022). SK Early Warning profile FINAL. [PDF].
https://www.slovensko.sk/en/life-situation/life-situation/_recycling-and-waste-management
https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-031-17461-2_65