The promotion of the White Book on obtaining energy from waste in Serbia was held on September 5, 2024 in Belgrade in the premises of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce. Members of the EDUCIRC2022 project team Assoc.Prof. Simonida Vukadinović and Assoc.Prof. Jelena Ješić were at the promotion of the White Book on obtaining energy from waste in Serbia. Siniša Mitrović, head of the Center for the Circular Economy of the Serbian Industrial Chamber, emphasized in the introductory part the special importance of having representatives of the University there, because the number of people enrolled in faculties in this field of environmental protection is small, and the consumption of resources and the reduction of the quality of the environment is evident – 30 % more energy was consumed this year in June and July than last year.
After Mr. Mitrović, one of the authors of the White Book, the editor of the edition – Igor Jezdimirović, addressed us and emphasized that the White Book started with the hierarchy of waste management, from which waste generation should be reduced (waste prevention), and then to waste disposal.
Mining waste is not included in the analysis, but is the subject of future research. We have been dealing with this topic for 15 years, but there are still LGUs that do not fulfill their obligations, do not send data on waste. Experiences from Austria and applied technologies are also in the publication. The system should become self-sustaining, is the message of Mr. Jezdimirović. Mr. Mitrović emphasized the problems facing the recycling industry in our country by declaring that Serbia buries 100 million euros annually in landfills.
The author from Austria, Helga, pointed out that Austria has been dealing with this issue for 60 years, and her team for 25 years, and that the legislation has been dealing with the issue of waste management for 40 years, and that it takes 8-10 years for the waste management process to be implemented.
The reviewers of this book, professors of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Belgrade, also pointed out that in 1977, the first doctorate was defended on the topic of municipal waste management.
The book is available at the link:
www.activity4sustainability.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Bela-knjiga-o-dobijanju-energija-iz-otpada-u-Srbiji.pdf
Representatives of the Elixir Group, the cement plant, as well as the Educons University- the EDUCIRC2022 project team, Assoc.Prof. Jelena Ješić and Assoc.Prof. Simonida Vukadinović attended the promotion of this publication. The EDUCIRC2022 project was presented to all present in the final part.