The lack of proper waste treatment and recycling systems in Kosovo has caused the creation of hazardous open-air landfills and illegal waste dumpsites, causing environmental pollution and health concerns.
“We’ve already had enough problems with the power plants, let alone this waste landfill,” Adem Shalaku, a resident of the village of Lajthishtë/Leskosic, about two kilometres from the Mirash landfill in Obiliq/Obilic, told Prishtina Insight.
Waste from seven municipalities in the Prishtina region has been dumped at the Mirash open-air landfill for over 20 years. Residents live in one of the most polluted areas in Kosovo, where the coal power plants, which the country is dependent on for electricity, are also located.
“During the summer, the smell here is unbearable, we complain, but no one listens to us,” Shalaku added, emphasising that residents see this landfill as an “atomic bomb,” that should have been removed years ago because of the danger it poses.
Mirash open air Landfill, with toxic water from nearby coal power plants next to it. Photo: BIRN/Denis Sllovinja
Kosovo produced 490, 000 tons of waste in 2023, most of which ended up in poorly managed landfills or illegal dumpsites. According to the Kosovo Agency of Statistics, only 3 percent of the total waste is recycled, mainly from private businesses.
Landfills similar to the one in Obiliq/Obilic exist in Gjilan/Gnjilane, Mitrovica, Pejë/Pec, Prishtinë, Dragash, Prizren, Gjakovë/Djakovica, and Podujevë, and most of them are managed by the Kosovo Landfill Management Company.
Built between 2001 and 2008 with the European Union’s support, these landfills have exceeded capacity and fall short of European standards, according to the Kosovo Environmental Protection Agency, AMMK.
These landfills are open-air dumps with only basic fencing and attract stray animals and birds, which spread waste and increase the risk of infections. The landfills constitute a worsening environmental hazard, especially for nearby villages.
“The environmental and infrastructural state of Kosovo’s landfills is alarming and far from European standards. Many have exceeded their designed capacity, and waste accumulation has reached unacceptable levels,” the AMMK told Prishtina Insight.
Landfills pose environmental and health threat
Stary dogs gathered at the landfill in Mirash, Obilic. Photo: BIRN/Denis Sllovinja
The open-air landfills in Kosovo do not meet the basic environmental and health safety standards.
According to the AMMK, the landfills in Kosovo do not possess wastewater treatment and have high levels of harmful gas emissions. They are also accompanied by the presence of stray dogs, birds, and insects, all of which contribute to the spread of infections.
The landfills also have insufficient fencing to separate them from the residency areas and fail to cover the waste daily despite legal obligations to do so. A mechanism of waste separation does not exist, including for medical waste, and there are no hazard signs near landfill sites to warn the public of the presence of such waste.
“None of these so-called sanitary landfills have integrated environmental permits, despite applications from the Kosovo Landfill Management Company,” the AMMK told Prishtina Insight.
They explained that the situation at the Mirash landfill in particular is “extremely severe, posing a constant threat to both the environment and the health of nearby residents.”
The lack of an efficient waste collection and treatment system in Kosovo has led to the creation of illegal landfills and pollution of rivers and lakes, where various types of waste, from household trash to construction debris and animal remains, are dumped.
Lack of infrastructure for waste treatment
Waste dumped in a public space in the Dardania neighborhood of Prishtina. Photo: BIRN/Verone Zymberi
Kosovo lacks a proper waste separation and recycling system, further worsening waste management challenges. Addressing these issues requires action at all levels of governance and investments in infrastructure and recycling projects.
“The waste in every corner is causing us problems even in business,” Bajram Islami, a resident of the ‘Kalabria’ neighbourhood in Prishtina said, adding that the containers are of poor quality and insufficient given the high number of businesses around.
“We try to keep it clean, but it’s in vain. The containers are of poor quality, and the municipality does nothing. We’ve been in this situation for several years,” he added.
Meanwhile, there is also waste in the open sewer canal in the area, which remains uncovered and untreated because of property disputes.
Struggling to keep up with the growing volume of waste generated by its residents, the challenges are evident in the cities’ streets, where overflowing bins and scattered trash reflect a deeper systemic problem.
Institutional negligence also plays a role. Authorities rarely enforce penalties or warnings, especially in construction zones where new illegal dumpsites frequently emerge despite municipal clean-up efforts.
Construction waste dumped in a residential area in Fushë Kosovë/Kosova Polje. Photo: BIRN
The AMMK, however, claims there has been an improvement considering that “in 2018, Kosovo had 2,246 illegal landfills. By 2023, this number had dropped to 403.” According to the AMMK, Prizren has the highest number of illegal landfills, with 187 recorded sites, while Gjakovë/Djakovica has the lowest, with 37.
Agron Demi, a policy analyst at NGO Atlas Institute, which promotes sustainable development for a greener future in the Western Balkans, describes Kosovo as having one of the most severe waste management crises in the region.
“Despite the AMMK’s data showing a decline in illegal dumping, a World Bank report that we’ve re-analysed at Atlas Institute indicates that methane emissions from waste in Kosovo are the highest in the region. There is no adequate treatment system for medical waste, industrial waste, or waste oils,” he stated.
The World Bank report that Demi referenced, published in October 2024, emphasises that “the country’s GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions have grown to nearly 9 Metric Tons of CO2 in 2019 and now make up 8 percent of total emissions in the WB6 region.”
Demi also stressed that the public waste management system has proven inefficient, with some municipalities receiving better services than others.
“We should consider introducing competition by involving the private sector, as seen recently in Prishtina. Although this would increase costs, it has improved waste collection efficiency.”
Demi was referring to the contracting of private waste collection services by the Prishtina municipality. This occurred after a recent dispute between the Prishtina municipality and the Prishtina regional waste collection company ‘Pastrimi.’
‘Pastrimi’ operates 14 trucks for household waste collection and three for businesses in Prishtina while it is in the process of purchasing ten more.
Nonetheless, contracting private companies by the municipality of Prishtina led to dissatisfaction among public waste management employees.
Needed steps for improvement
Velekinca open air Landfill. Photo: BIRN/Denis Sllovinja
Kosovo’s waste management is further complicated by disputes between central and local governance, as well as mismanagement within public waste collection companies.
Fushë Kosova/Kosova Polje, a municipality with the fastest population growth and construction, faces challenges with both household waste and construction waste in residential areas.
‘The situation is very terrifying, it’s not good for health or the environment,’ Sanije Bajrami, a resident of this city declared.
Local and central government institutions, as well as environmental experts, stress the need for policies focusing on waste treatment and recycling as the key move to improve the current situation.
“Municipalities, waste management operators, and central institutions must develop policies that promote waste reduction and invest in treatment and recycling facilities,” the AMMK stated.
The AMMK explained that recycling at the source is difficult considering Kosovo municipalities do not have a waste separation system in place. According to them, however, the Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning, and Infrastructure is working on a circular economy strategy and has drafted several policy documents related to recycling.
“A notable upcoming initiative is the establishment of a consortium to implement a deposit-return system for plastic bottles, glass, and cans,” the AMMK revealed.
Tires collected at the Velekince landfill. Photo: BIRN/Denis Sllovinja
Demi emphasised that waste management companies and landfills should start recycling waste, as this could generate additional revenue for these companies.
“There should also be greater monitoring to ensure that large businesses, such as supermarkets, do not use containers designated for residents,” he claimed.
He added that citizens also need to become aware that waste poses a problem for them as well, but institutions can always incentivise citizens to recycle by introducing benefits such as a payment for “collecting, sorting, and delivering waste.”
Currently, waste collection companies transport the waste to landfills without separating it. The AMMK explained that “although some (private) recycling operators process materials like nylon, plastic, textiles, and paper, the overall recycling rate remains low.”
The situation is even worse in rural areas because of the absence of waste collection services, which leads residents to create illegal landfills.
According to the AMMK, the ideal solution for waste management in Kosovo lies in developing a sustainable infrastructure for waste treatment and recycling.
This process involves several key elements including the development of waste treatment and recycling infrastructure, the strengthening of institutional oversight to prevent illegal landfills, and raising public awareness.