In the summer, the island of Krk is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Croatia, welcoming up to six times more people than the number of permanent residents during the peak season. Despite this strong seasonal influx and numerous waste management challenges, the seven local government units on the island and the utility company Ponikve eko otok Krk d.o.o. have become a leading example in Croatia of how to implement an effective Zero Waste strategy. The long-term cooperation with Zelena akcija, the national coordinator of the Zero Waste Europe network, contributed significantly to this success.
In 2024, Krk became the first island in Croatia, and only the second in the world, to acquire the Zero Waste certificate, completing a multi-year process of improving the system and meeting high goals for reducing waste generation, reuse, and recycling. Thanks to continuous commitment to innovation and system improvement, the local government units on Krk today record high rates of separately collected waste, while the rates of mixed waste generation are lower than in most local government units in Croatia. In addition, high-quality infrastructure for waste treatment has been developed, enabling efficient recycling and composting.
However, Krk does not stop there. In cooperation with Zelena akcija, new ambitious goals have been set, and new measures are already being developed to fulfill them, so that Krk can become an even more recognizable example of good practice, and the quality of life on the island can be even higher.
