Their procurement was financed by Ekopak, the first and leading packaging waste management system operator in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ekopak Director Amela Hrbat handed over the vehicle keys to CPUC RAD Director Emir Dobrača in the presence of partners and guests, marking another step in the development of the waste collection system in Sarajevo Canton.

The investment includes a total of three vehicles, two of which have been handed over to CPUC RAD, while the third is currently on its way. One of the vehicles delivered, a Mercedes-Benz Econic equipped with a Zöller Medium X4 body, will be used specifically for the collection of packaging waste and is the first vehicle of this size that CPUC RAD will use for this purpose.

The vehicle will enable more efficient collection of packaging waste from locations where separate collection infrastructure has been established and its transport to the sorting facility in Smiljevići. The new investment is expected to contribute significantly to increasing the quantities of packaging waste collected and to the further development of the system in Sarajevo Canton.

“The handover of this vehicle represents a significant improvement in our operational capacities and another step in the development of the system we have been building for years. We continuously encourage citizens to separate packaging waste at designated collection points, while it is our responsibility to ensure its efficient collection and transport to the sorting facility. This investment will enable us to further improve that process, and we expect it to directly result in greater quantities of packaging waste being collected. We would like to thank Ekopak for this investment and for our long-standing cooperation,” said Emir Dobrača, Director of CPUC RAD Sarajevo.

Ekopak continuously invests in the development of the capacities of public utility companies participating in its system throughout the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, through the procurement of equipment, specialised vehicles and other municipal infrastructure required for more efficient separate collection of packaging waste and its preparation for recycling.

“For a separate collection system to function effectively, simply installing bins and containers is not enough. The entire chain needs to be developed – from the point where citizens separate packaging waste, through its collection and transport, to sorting and directing it to recycling. This is precisely why we continuously invest in the infrastructure of public utility companies participating in the Ekopak system,” said Amela Hrbat, Director of Ekopak.

She added that the new dedicated vehicle also has an important role in building public confidence in the separate collection system.

“Some citizens have understandably asked what happens to packaging waste after they separate it. From now on, separately collected packaging waste will be transported by a dedicated vehicle to the sorting facility in Smiljevići, while Ekopak will ensure that the prepared quantities are directed to recycling. We therefore invite the citizens of Sarajevo to continue separating packaging waste and, together with us, contribute to making ‘My Sarajevo Clean and Beautiful’,” Hrbat emphasised.

CPUC RAD and Ekopak have been cooperating for many years on the development of infrastructure for the separate collection of packaging waste in Sarajevo Canton, including the installation of collection infrastructure, recycling yards, educational activities and joint projects. The new vehicles represent a continuation of this process and create additional conditions for increasing the quantities of packaging waste separated from municipal waste and directed to recycling.

Since the beginning of its operations in 2012, Ekopak has collected and directed more than 180,000 tonnes of packaging waste to recycling through its system. Its long-standing cooperation with CPUC RAD has made a significant contribution to these results. With further investment in infrastructure, the joint efforts of citizens, CPUC RAD and Ekopak are expected to result in continued growth in the quantities of packaging waste directed to recycling.