2025 Award "Best Practice in Citizen Participation"

The “Recyclable Waste Management: Engaging and Citizens in Sustainable Practices Recyclable waste management: Engagement and citizens in sustainability practices” project consisted of involving local government in solving a common problem by including and bringing together in a "call" various interest groups in this process and clearly consists of improving the quality of the environment for the entire community. In the territory of the Roskovec municipality, difficulties were encountered in collecting urban waste, as citizens mixed it with green waste, creating chaos in the environment as it was thrown in inappropriate places such as urban waste containers, canals, roads and public places. Also, this waste was not accepted at the Fier waste treatment plant. In this way, an appropriate way had to be found for the best management of solid waste.

From the continuous meetings with farmers and businesses, the management of plant waste and cardboard emerged as a problem in the search for a final sustainable solution on The Roskovec Municipality is the second in the Republic of Albania to have implemented the practice of recycling through composting of green waste and recycling of cardboard waste. The composting point works to create organic fertilizer from plant waste and cardboard waste. Main objective: creating an efficient system for integrated solid waste management according to the legislation in force. - cleaning the territory through the collection of plant waste from large or small producers, their composting and processing. reducing the cost of waste treatment at the waste treatment plant in Fier. increasing revenues in the municipality budget by turning them into investments for farmers. increasing the number of jobs at the composting point.

The use of the right stakeholder communication strategy is the key to a sustainable practice where the focus is on citizens and farmers. The personalized production of leaflets for each village and their timely and where-they-were distribution was the focus for raising citizens' awareness about how to manage plant waste. The common goal was to promote environmental protection by improving municipal services for the local community with modern and integrated solutions for waste management. This practice has also been appreciated by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment. The efficiency of the waste collection service was also improved by introducing separation at the source of waste.

• https://bashkiaroskovec.gov.al/ (External link)