Something special is happening in Gracanica Municipality. Each month, several tons of trash are moving out of landfills and into recycling centers. In the process, members of the minority Roma community are starting businesses that sustain families and transform neighborhoods.
Berjan Čelić is one of these new recycling entrepreneurs. Hailing from Gracanica’s Preoce village, he first began work in recycling more than two decades ago with nothing more than a cart to pick up copper, aluminum, zinc, stainless steel and other metals from open landfills. He planned to scale up his efforts for years but was ultimately limited by his equipment and the fact he didn’t have a business license.
Not long ago, USAID provided Berjan with machinery to collect and compress recyclable materials and transport them to recycling centers. He also received assistance to register his business, enabling him to sign contracts with local governments to do waste collection. All of this has dramatically increased the amount of metals and plastics he processes each month, leading to extra income to support his family.
Moreover, waste collectors who have received USAID’s equipment assistance and formalized their businesses have seen their income increase by 147%, from 400 euros per month to 989 euros.
Dozens of Berjan’s friends and neighbors have received similar support, and Gracanica has seen a big environmental impact. 27 tons of trash is being recycled each month. That frees up 289 cubic meters of space at landfills and saves more than 200 trees and half a million liters of water. It also means 43 tons of carbon dioxide that aren’t being emitted into the atmosphere. These are massive results for a municipality with just tens of thousands of residents.
If current trends continue, these numbers will increase in the months and years ahead. Stories like Berjan’s will become more common, with a growing number of informal waste collectors becoming business owners leading the way towards a greener Kosovo. Through this work, USAID is working to improve the environment and the lives of those dedicating their lives and livelihoods to its protection.
Lura Ajdini, Democracy Plus