Residents in a Croatian town have launched a grassroots campaign to combat years of illegal flytipping that has left hazardous waste buried near homes, with one dumping site alone estimated to hold tens of thousands of tonnes. The protest, drawing thousands to the Croatian parliament, reflects growing frustration over unchecked waste disposal in the mountainous region. Authorities have faced pressure to address the environmental and health risks posed by the abandoned waste, much of which was dumped and covered without proper oversight. The movement highlights the consequences of unregulated waste management in communities struggling to protect their surroundings.
After years of illegal mass flytipping in Gospić, fed-up residents decided to take matters into their own hands“Gospić is our home,” Željka Šikić shouted to a crowd of 40,000 people outside the Croatian parliament earlier this month. The slogan is the name of a campaign she helped to set up to protest against the illegal dumping of waste in Gospić, a town in the mountainous Lika region of central Croatia.Between 2022 and 2024, waste was illegally abandoned at several sites in the town. At one of the biggest, just 50 metres from Šikić’s home, an estimated 35,000 tonnes of waste, some of it hazardous, was dumped and buried. Continue reading...
