A baling machine was presented today in Negotino, which will use the organic waste from the vineyards for several purposes instead of burning it.

The Minister of Local Self-Government Risto Penov who attended the event in the Tive region indicated that instead of spending money on storage and destruction, waste can be turned into energy or a new product that will be in demand on the market.

Such innovative, green ideas, if they are well developed, can be financed by the European Union, and the co-financing of 15 percent is provided by the Ministry of Local Self-Government, says Penov.

At today's event, the results of the project "Development of an organic waste management system in the production of grapes and wine in the Tikvesh region" were also promoted.

According to the organizers of the event, the main goal of the project is the identification of the prerequisites, institutional, legal and framework, for cost-effective treatment and reuse of the organic waste created on the vineyards in the Tikvesh region, as well as a significant increase in the amount of collected organic waste as a resource, with the processing of which will enable economic effects.

Furthermore, the goal of the project is to propose appropriate technologies for waste treatment, which will be piloted within the project activities, as well as the creation of a business model that will be shared with all interested public and private parties.

The circular economy, as part of the green agenda for the Western Balkans, is a central pillar of the project and it is expected that with the implementation of the project activities, foundations will be established for the introduction of this concept in North Macedonia.

The machine that will regulate the waste, as it was presented, will optimize the process of collection and baling
the sharpened branches, which will further be used as a resource for obtaining new products. The presented model is attractive and can be the basis for establishing cooperation between private companies and municipalities, with municipal public utilities.

The event was organized under the motto "Waste is only waste if it is not processed" - with a circular economy - to food, energy and other products". The project is implemented as part of the develoPPP.de cooperation program with the business sector, and is realized with the financial support of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), through the German Society for International Cooperation, in partnership with the "Bovin" winery. and the Center for Research and Policymaking.