OVER 252 TONS OF WASTE COLLECTED AND SORTED IN GENERALKA WEEKEND 2023 – THE MOST MASSIVE ECO-ACTION IN THE COUNTRY

In the action, more than 304 locations were cleaned with the participation of 15,811 volunteers, which is almost double compared to last year. GENERALKA WEEKEND proved to be the most massive eco-action in our country, which further emphasizes the need for responsible waste disposal practices and the importance of waste sorting in the fight against pollution.

According to the results, each volunteer collected an average of 16 kilograms of waste.

“We are proud that for the third time we stand behind GENERALKA WEEKEND, together with our strategic partners, which fully supports the commitments of Pivara Skopje – to build our country as a place without waste, which is in line with our global platform – World without waste until 2030”, said Dusan Mitrev, general director of Pivara Skopje, emphasizing that the achieved results exceeded all expectations.

“The positive achievements of GENERALKA WEEKEND, year after year, indicate the growing trend of environmental awareness in the country, especially among the younger population. On behalf of Pivara Skopje, I would like to thank the large number of volunteers who personally invested in contributing to this initiative,” adds Mitrev.

“The data from the collected and selected waste show exactly what we want to clearly see: out of a total of 252 tons, only 55.5 tons ended up in a landfill, and everything else has a useful value and was used as a potential secondary raw material” – emphasized the Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning Kaja Shukova, announcing the results of the spring eco-action.

Congratulating the organizers, partners, and all participants in the action, she emphasized that Generalka Weekend is an excellent example of how using an innovative approach, creativity and the will to collect, select and recycle the garbage of the past, a green future can be built.

“I expect that waste habits will become part of our daily behavior, because not every waste is garbage, most of it is a potential resource, and therefore it is important to select and give it the opportunity for reuse,” she added.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management again supports the environmental action, so that for every 10 kg of waste collected, one tree will be planted in the fall, thus contributing to the creation of a new life. According to the results of the spring part of GENERALKA WEEKEND, about 25,000 trees will be planted.

“Respecting green principles is key to achieving the ambitious goal of a climate-neutral Europe. That is why, in 2023, we focused on the green transition through forestry projects. Last year we planted 400,000 seedlings, of which we dedicated 40,000 seedlings to the action Soncheva Gora (Sunny Mountain) and together we reforested two locations, in Petrovec and in Veles. And this year we continue our cooperation, for every 10 kilograms of waste we will dedicate one tree. This means that for the collected 250,000 kilograms of waste, we will dedicate 25,000 trees and this fall we will raise a new forest again, a new Soncheva Gora,” said the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, Ljupco Nikolovski.

The head of marketing and communications at Sparkase Bank AD Skopje, Katarina Shterjovska-Raca, pointed out that: “Climate change is no longer a projection placed in the future, but has become a reality in which humanity lives and with which consequences must be dealt with. Sustainable operation is our daily commitment and perspective for the future! We at Sparkase Bank believe in a better future for everyone, in a better future for the generations to come.”

The local utilities, Pakomak and Nula Otpad (Zero Waste), took care of the collected waste during the action, and Red Cross teams were present at all locations to ensure the safety of the volunteers.

The entire necessary infrastructure for the collection, selection and appropriate treatment of waste was provided by Pakomak.

“We are particularly pleased with the fact that the GENERALKA WEEKEND action has become a tradition and every year we have more and more participants and more and more collected waste. Pakomak has supported this action since the very beginning, and it should be noted that the inspiration for what is happening today is the actions that Pakomak organized with the support of Pivara Skopje 7 years ago,” said Filip Ivanovski, executive director of Pakomak, at today’s presentation of the results of the action.

Biljana Kostadinova, a representative from Zero Waste, pointed out: “Zero Waste this year is part of the most massive and inclusive action for cleaning waste in our country with the aim of raising public awareness about the correct selection of electronic waste and waste batteries and accumulators, through the installation of infrastructure from containers for this type of waste in all involved municipalities, as well as the promotion of Eco Line (070 236 000) as an available service for free collection of old electronics from the homes of citizens and legal entities. This project is proof that the community gives us the power and opportunity to turn waste into a green future.”

The main initiators and organizers of the GENERALKA WEEKEND eco-action, Gordana Sofia and Hannes Yekl from the “Man and Mountain” organization, expressed their gratitude to each participant of GENERALKA WEEKEND 2023, noting: “Three years ago, it started with the idea of what it would be like if everyone went out and clean up your country, to make it a better place for everyone now, and for generations to come. Since then, every year more and more people, companies and institutions have started to believe in the same idea. But in the end, it’s just an idea, and only together can we make it happen.”

The GENERALKA WEEKEND eco-action is planned to be repeated every year until 2031, with the aim of cleaning the entire country from waste and implementing a sustainable system for waste selection and management.

GENERALKA WEEKEND is an annual environmental initiative dedicated to encouraging environmental awareness, responsible waste management and sustainable practices in the country. Through joint efforts, it aims to create a cleaner and greener future for the country and its citizens.