Velika Gorica, 26 February 2026 – The city of Velika Gorica has officially become the newest Zero Waste Candidate City, making it the biggest city in Croatia to join the Mission Zero Academy (MiZA) Certification programme, and commit to a zero waste management strategy.
Marko Košak, Vice President of Zelena akcija / Zero Waste Croatia, and Coordinator of the Croatian network of zero waste cities states:
“We are extremely pleased that the City of Velika Gorica has become the largest city in Croatia to adopt a Zero Waste strategy, and become a candidate for the prestigious Zero Waste Certification. This demonstrates the ability of large urban environments to achieve zero waste goals, despite the size and complexity of their waste management systems.”
The Certification will allow the city to work towards an ambitious set of zero waste measures, in the areas of waste prevention and reuse, as well as the development of local infrastructure, such as a reuse center, a composting facility, and a sorting facility for separately collected waste.
Gordana Mikulčić Krnjaja, Senior Advisor in the Department of Spatial Planning, Construction, and Environmental Protection of the City of Velika Gorica states:
“We have accomplished great results in the waste management system in Velika Gorica. We would like to take this opportunity to further improve the system through cooperation with experts from Mission Zero Academy, and the Zero Waste Europe network.”
MiZA and Zero Waste Europe will help Velika Gorcia achieve its 2030 goals, which include: increasing its recycling rates by 25% (from 40% to 65%), and reducing mixed waste per capita to 100 kg (down from 137 kg). The city is already busy introducing new measures, including a door-to-door separate waste collection system, and a modern recycling centre, which are proving popular with the locals. A pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) payment model has also been launched, which encourages waste separation and reduces the generation of mixed waste.
Although Velika Gorica has been successful thus far, there are still many hurdles ahead on its zero waste journey, according to Jurica Jurjević, Director of the municipal company VG Čistoća:
“Velika Gorica can be proud of the way it has established its waste management system, but there is still a lot of work ahead to achieve the set goals, and improve the quality of life in the city. This is why we have planned a series of new measures, such as increasing the frequency of recyclable waste collection, and reducing the amount of usable fractions that end up in mixed waste. People have developed awareness that proper waste separation helps everyone, and we are determined to further improve the system to the fullest.”
Velika Gorica’s commitment highlights the huge opportunities zero waste strategies present for cities across Europe, and that even larger cities with complex waste systems can transition to zero waste, one measure at a time.
ENDS
Notes to the editor
- City official website: https://gorica.hr/
- Municipal company: https://www.vgcistoca.hr/naslovna/
- The Zero Waste Certification is made up of 5 steps: (i) the expression of interest in being Zero Waste by the municipality, (ii) the commitment to be Zero Waste, (iii) the implementation of this system, (iv) its certification and (v) the performance of annual improvements. The overcoming of each of these steps is given with the support and advice of expert entities in the fields of waste and resource management. The evaluation for certification is developed around a scoring system, which includes mandatory criteria and optional scoring criteria.
- Scoring criteria are scored based on the ambition and impact of each implemented policy. The sum of the points defines the level of certification of the municipality and its subsequent number of ‘stars’.
- Subsequent to Certification, municipalities must monitor their activity and make annual improvements to enhance the results achieved. Every 3 years they are subject to new audits.
Press contacts
Ariane Osman, Communications Officer at Zero Waste Europe, ariane@zerowasteeurope.eu or news@zerowasteeurope.eu / +32 471 96 55 93
Marko Košak, Vice President of Zelena akcija / Zero Waste Croatia, marko@zelena-akcija.hr
