Pilot start in Varaždin – 83 tenants of Varaždin's green market allotted waste separation bins

The green-market tradition is very strong in Croatia. The markets are a place where local farmers can directly sell their produces but also places where people meet and where all the news about city-life is spread. The green market of Varaždin is no different and its influence on the lifestyle of the city is immeasurable. It is also a perfect location to introduce new and sustainable principles of the Circular economy due to the fact that the produces sold there produce a measurable amount of bio (and other) waste and that it is a location where good practices are most easily demonstrated to the public.

Varaždin's pilot project within the scope of Citycircle, started by allotting waste-separation bins to all of the 83 tenants of the market. Varaždin is the first Croatian city to introduce Circular economy principles in the operational model of a municipal company that manages the green-market itself thus creating a strong example of good-practice for other communities to follow.

Te pilot project was introduced on the 1st of July by representatives of Citycircle partner and associated institutions: vice-mayor of Varaždin,  Mr. Zlatan Avar,  the director of Development Agency North, Mr. Miljenko Ernoić, the director of the municipal green-market company (Gradska tržnica ltd.), Mr. Predrag Ciglar and the representative of Varaždin's waste management company (Čistoća ltd.), mr. Franjo Rajner.

The waste separation bins given to the tenants include a bio-waste bin, glass-waste bin, plastics bin and paper bin. The partners expect this pilot to increase the percentage of waste-separation activities in the city of Varaždin, the further promotions of it's importance but will also foster and demonstrate additional Circular economy activities by producing compost  that will be used by the green-market operator in production of hazelnuts on it's own field.