EDU-CLIC

Background

Landfills represent the third largest anthropogenic source of methane emissions globally. This is also an issue in Serbia, where waste management has been predominantly based on landfilling, thus significantly contributing to the national carbon footprint: Serbia has over 3,600 waste disposal sites which cause 60,000 tons of methane emissions annually.

Project

To address this issue, the EDU-CLIC project team targeted waste management staff and landfill operators and provided them with the necessary knowledge on how to make waste management more sustainable. This mainly happened by upgrading an existing sanitary landfill – a landfill where all waste is isolated from the environment until it is labelled “safe” – in the town of Sremska Mitrovica. It served both as a blueprint for future modern waste management centres in the region and as a demonstration centre. For the demonstration centre, the project team developed a curriculum that allowed training waste management operators in sustainable waste management practices on-site.

Everyone involved in the region’s waste collection and disposal processes partook in instruction and demonstration events; these events explained how landfill modernisation could contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and environmental protection. Furthermore, activities included setting up a demo plant of, first, compost for landfill covers and, second, of fuel pellets. Such pellets could serve as an affordable source of energy for poor communities while at the same time providing a more sustainable alternative to commonly used biomass fuels, thus expecting to further reduce methane emissions by 16.65 tons annually. As a blueprint for further landfill modernisation, the project’s activities encouraged the implementation of more sustainable waste management practices in the region, thus significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the future.

Results

1. EDU-CLIC to the rescue! – The plan for the adaptation and general improvement of the operation of the Srem Mačva regional landfill and the curriculum for the training of landfill operators were developed to transform this landfill into a modern demonstration centre for municipal solid waste management. A 43.7 t reduction in CH4 emissions at the Srem-Mačva Regional Landfill was achieved by diverting 317.17 t of collected agricultural biomass from the landfill and converting it into energy (70.1 t of fuel in the form of briquettes and pellets) delivered to populations in need before the heating season in cooperation with the Red Cross, or converted to compost (the excess amount of 17.17 t). 

2. A Plan for adaptation and general operational improvement for the Regional Landfill Srem Mačva was developed based on the in-depth analysis of its relevant documentation and materials available, an overview of the baseline conditions at the landfill and analysis of incoming waste (sampled during two seasons – winter and summer). By applying the plan, which can also serve as a blueprint for other regional landfills, this landfill will be transformed into a demonstration centre for waste management. 

3. A curriculum has been developed for a training center aimed at municipal solid waste landfill operators, addressing gaps in their training process. This curriculum, designed for a future demonstration center, emphasizes a holistic approach by combining theoretical and practical training. It focuses on three key elements: the proper and safe execution of work tasks, and the reduction of negative environmental impacts, particularly targeting the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from poorly managed landfills through the application of modernization plans. 

Last update: September 2024