Project EUREKA

Introduction

Differences in main characteristics of MSW in tourist regions cause problems in organization and high costs. This project developes new optimal capacity utilization (OCU) model in order to lower costs, improve environmental protection and service quality.

Description

Republic of Croatia is faced by waste management problems specially in tourist areas. Waste transportation represent one of the biggest problems because waste management firms don't have qualitative equipment for waste pretreatment and treatment on the way land – land, island – land etc.,. Since Republic of Croatia has well-indented coast with approx. 1000 islands, tourism represent one of the priority economic branches with very high rate of growth. The same opens a lot of problems from logistical, economical and technical aspects tied to creating, collecting and transporting the waste.

One of the aims in this project is to design an operational waste-management-model (WMM), based on data analysis from the regional and local level. It will help to include and consider alternative findings and solutions from other countries and evaluate their potential by means of scenario analysis.

Within the preparation of the WMM an Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) will be implanted which integrates the following steps:

• Description of the purpose and the objectives of the waste management plan (WMP) and give an overview of possible alternatives, including relevant impacts that are to be expected.
• The scoping process – a consultation of relevant interest groups, that play an important part in a waste management plan. That includes for example, environmental authorities, waste producing enterprises, tourist resorts and waste treatment facilities.
• Preparation of an environmental impact statement, including a few alternatives for waste management
• As well as a review of the process and a monitoring process

In project work out, the special paid will be given to development and making new optimal capacity utilization (OCU) model for tourist region, as important segment in integral waste management system. Model will be developed in collaboration with domestic and foreign partners.

It will allow that, after defining stipulated input data (number of population, number of tourists, waste quantities, types of equipment for collecting and transporting the waste, waste transportation price etc.), and after economic valorization, optimal variant solutions for selection of waste transportation organization will be given as well as types of equipment in order to get rational using of existing resources or new furnished equipment.

Final products of the project will be as follows:

• Strategic Environmental Assessment (caused by waste) in the County of Dubrovnik - Neretva
• Harmonization CRO legislative with EU legislative respect to waste management, and
• Model in form of “software” taking into consideration precepts from “SEA” which is planned to export in other tourist countries by complete “consulting” services or by licencing.

In view of interdisciplinary approach to the project (waste management – tourism – logistic – informatic), after phase of working out and defining all needed parameters for making basic software model, it is planned define input data and additional parameters through Pilot project and move on correction and verification of the model.

For Pilot project carrying out the region of town Dubrovnik is chosen. In this region, insight in existing condition of rolling stocks and equipment will be given, quantities and structure of the waste which generates during and out of the tourist season will be determined and optimal model of waste management from aspect of logistic, work expenses and technical possibilities will be suggested.