Motivated by the European Single Use Plastic Directive, a group of local activists from the island of Zlarin in Croatia got an idea of Zlarin becoming an island without single-use plastic. They won the contest for the best innovative solutions that will help to stop further pollution caused by plastic waste into the Adriatic Sea. Few months after that, the vision started becoming reality when all shops, restaurants, NGOs and local authorities signed the declaration to replace all disposable plastic with more environmentally friendly solutions to contribute to stopping plastic pollution.

Great news from the Zero Waste Croatia network of municipalities! Today in Prelog, north of Croatia, three new municipalities signed the official Zero Waste strategy and entered the Zero Waste Europe network of municipalities with best practices in Europe. They joined other 9 municipalities in the successful system run by the municipal company PRE-KOM, which is the sustainable waste management national leader in Croatia with the best results in reduction, separate collection, recycling and composting.

Gathered in a coalition “Zero Waste Croatia”, environmental NGO’s and citizens’ initiatives from all over the Croatia are warning public about dangerous consequences of irrational act of forcing construction of regional centers for waste management and demanding formal resignation of Croatian minister of Environmental Protection and Energetics, Tomislav Ćorić. European Commission has warned about the damages on Monday, and Ministry has once again shown the incredible skills of unconvincing manipulation and indifference towards public interest.

We are inviting citizens to engage in an online action and send us pictures of more sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic, as well as examples of unnecessary plastic packaging and plastic pollution of the environment.

For the International Plastic Bag Free Day, activists from Zelena akcija/Friends of the Earth Croatia planned an action/performance in front of Importanne shopping center in Zagreb, which aimed to raise awareness on the environmental problems caused by production and overconsumption of single-use plastic bags and single-use plastic in general.

As a member of worldwide movement “Break Free From Plastic”, Zelena akcija/Friends of the Earth Croatia is organizing “Plastic-Free Week”. Activities will be happening from 2nd until 6th of July, 2018 as the 3rd of July is The International Plastic Bag Free Day.