At the invitation of Zelena Akcija / Zero Waste Croatia, the public utility company Ponikve eko otok Krk d.o.o. who is responsible for waste management on the Croatian island of Krk, has agreed to participate in the project “Transitioning to a zero waste Europe, one community at a time”.

Thanks to the project, municipalities on the island of Krk will enter the process of obtaining the European Waste Cities Certification. The certificate is given to municipalities that officially follow a zero waste strategy based on systematically reducing waste, through measures that increase reuse, recycling and composting. Municipalities in Krk have been sustainably managing their waste for several years now, and with the Certification ‘zero waste’ they would become even more recognizable in Croatia and abroad as a model of ecological waste management and high quality of life.

Ponikve Krk will closely work together with Zelena Akcija in organising activities aimed at further improving the waste management system of the island. Specifically, they will focus on the island of Krk and its municipalities successfully obtaining the Zero Waste Cities Certificate offered by the Mission Zero Academy. Obtaining this certificate would mean additional branding of the island as a desirable tourist destination and place for a comfortable life, as well as connecting and exchanging experiences with experts from other municipalities that are members of the Zero Waste Europe network.

In details, such activities include:

• Preparation of an analysis of the waste management system on Krk and recommendations for improvement;
• Development of a zero waste strategy and set goals for the next period;
• A press conference with the presentation of the zero waste strategy and its signing by the heads of municipalities;
• A workshop to strengthen the capacity of the utility company Ponikve on a selected topic (e.i. zero waste hotels, reuse center, etc.);
• The establishment of an advisory body for sustainable waste management;
• Promotion of the zero waste system of Krk in the media and on social networks;
• Training and education materials for the citizens about the possibilities of reducing waste generation and reuse.

The first stage of this project will be implemented from February 2021 until the end of August 2022, the process of cooperation between the utility company Ponikve Krk with Zelena Akcija will continue after this timeframe, with the aim of obtaining the European Zero Waste Cities Certification to help guide Krk on its journey to become a zero waste champion.