Zagreb Resident Denied TV Recycling, Highlights Waste Disposal Woes

A Zagreb resident's frustration with the city's waste management system has highlighted a broader problem with electronic waste disposal. The man attempted to recycle two broken televisions at a local recycling center but was turned away, with staff claiming they do not accept such items and that no other facility in the city will take them.

"Where can I take them, other than dumping them in a forest at night?" the resident questioned on the social media platform Reddit, expressing his dilemma. Recycling centers in Zagreb are designated for recyclable waste, but the responsibility for certain electronic waste, like televisions, falls under the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, not Zagrebački Holding.

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Where can I take them, other than dumping them in a forest at night?

The fund is tasked with finding a company to collect electronic waste across Croatia. However, the fund was left without an authorized collector for specific categories of electronic waste in mid-February 2025, and a new contract has yet to be finalized. This has led to operational issues for many service providers, including the temporary suspension of TV acceptance at recycling centers, according to Holding.

This is not the first time recycling center staff in Zagreb have refused to accept broken televisions. The situation has prompted inquiries to both the Fund and Holding. Reddit users pointed to the Fund, not the city, as the source of the problem, suggesting the state lacks a contractor for old televisions and that the Fund's offered prices are not attractive enough for collection companies.

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The Fund was left without an authorized collector for categories of EE waste 2-6 in mid-February 2025, and a new contract has not been concluded to date. Consequently, there have been difficulties in the operations of numerous service providers, including the temporary suspension of acceptance at recycling centers.