By NAUE – In the course of the European Union (EU) accession process, the adaptation of waste management to the EU’s legal framework can be a major challenge for a country. This has been the case in Serbia, which applied for EU accession in 2009, entered the process in 2012, and is currently estimated to finalize its negotiations by the end of 2024. Regarding waste management, the country has had to address major deficits in its existing landfills compared to the emission protection requirements defined in EU directives.
The Vinca domestic waste landfill in the southeast of the capital Belgrade provides an exemplary case for how a country adjusts its waste management practices in the accession process.
EU PATH SUPPORTED BY LANDFILLS & GEOSYNTHETICS
The Vinca landfill is the central disposal facility for Belgrade’s metropolitan region. Waste has been regularly brought there since 1977. However, the old body of the landfill did not meet today’s environmental standards. As a consequence, the landfill needed to be upgraded.
This has been, by far, the largest landfill construction project in the region. New filling areas with modern sealing systems are being built in the current project.
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For the sealing systems of the new filling areas 1 and 2 as well as the associated retention basins for seepage water, NAUE GmbH & Co KG received the order from the local partner Opticus Ing to supply the geosynthetic components:
- Carbofol® 406 HDPE 2mm geomembrane; ≥ 150,000m²
- Geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) Bentofix® NSP 5300; ≥ 100,000m²
- Secutex® R1001 protection nonwoven; ≥ 100,000m²
- Geosynthetic drainage system Secudrain® 131C WD401 131C; ≥ 300,000m²
The landfill is in the Danube Valley, which results in high climatic wind speeds and fluctuations in daytime temperature and humidity. The supplied products are characterized by simple installation and high-quality raw materials, which enables rapid and safe construction progress even under these boundary conditions.
The upgrading of the Vinca landfill is a milestone in the direction of raising the environmental standards in waste management for the Republic of Serbia and thus in implementing the EU landfill directive.
Learn more about NAUE’s geosynthetics and engineering services at www.naue.com.
