Case Study on Waste Management in Slovenia: Challenges, Changes and the Path Forward

Although Slovenia has made significant improvements in reducing municipal waste disposal in landfills and has simultaneously increased separate waste sorting and collection over the past 20 years, certain challenges in waste management still persist. This article offers a new perspective through a case study that addresses the challenges faced by a tourism-dominated community in Slovenia. The focus was on discarded packaging within the waste stream, aiming to identify the key waste management challenges in Slovenia, particularly in municipalities dominated by tourism. Based on face-to-face interviews with stakeholders in the packaging waste management chain, we identified several obstacles in waste management and recycling, influenced by legal regulations, infrastructural inadequacies, and financial constraints. Key issues include the cost of waste services, determined by container size or waste weight, and significant waste generation from tourism, especially in summer. These challenges underscore the need for a comprehensive approach, including better facilities, infrastructure improvements, stakeholder collaboration, public education on waste sorting, the introduction of innovative practices, and adjustments to market changes.