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Kotor Cleans Up with USAID Support
As Montenegro seeks to develop its economy with an emphasis on tourism, the preservation of the “wild beauty” that attracts visitors must be given priority consideration. Yet, waste disposal is a growing problem in almost every region of Montenegro. The rapid rates of urbanization, rural-urban migration, changing consumption patterns, and increased tourism have all contributed to increased waste.
Mention Kotor and the image of the picturesque walled old-town and the breathtaking scenery of the fjord and Boka Bay come to mind. However, as more and more tourists have discovered Kotor, consumption has risen, while the municipality’s ability to process the resulting waste has not kept pace. Like the majority of coastal tourist destinations, Kotor’s population swells in the summer as tourists fill hotels and guest houses and part-time residents return to their coastal havens. With the addition of seasonal workers who provide services for all of these visitors, the waste levels in the summer months overwhelm the local capacity to handle it.
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| This cardboard will be recycled and used again |
To remain a favorite tourist destination, municipal officials in Kotor realized that they needed to find a way to conserve natural resources while also reducing waste. The Municipality, together with its Public Utilities Company, presented their ideas to USAID to see if it would support their efforts to initiate a municipal recycling project. Recognizing the importance of the proposal and the commitment of the community, USAID made resources available for the project.
The American people, through USAID, constructed the recycling center, while the Public Utilities Company procured 150 specially-labeled containers to be distributed throughout the municipality for the selective disposal of plastic, paper, and glass. The company also procured a glass grinder, a shredder for hard plastic, metal and wooden crates, a press for PET bottles and aluminum cans, and other equipment. The strong partnership and effective cooperation between the municipality and USAID was critical to the project’s success.
While its primary goal was to establish a cost-effective and efficient method of collecting and disposing of the residential waste of the town while attempting to reduce the strain on overburdened landfills, the project also generated new employment. In all, ten full-time and four seasonal positions were created. But, best of all, Kotor’s residents and guests now have the opportunity to contribute to a greener Montenegro simply by selecting the right containers in which to dispose of their waste.
The Selective Waste Disposal project is one of ten local and ten regional projects undertaken in Kotor by USAID-implementer IRD since May 2005 within the Community Revitalization through Democratic Action (CRDA) program. CRDA’s aim is to support local and regional economic development, with a special emphasis on job creation and income generation.
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