The recycling rate in the country is unfortunately very low compared to the European Union. Although awareness among Macedonian citizens about waste sorting is growing, unfortunately if you look at the overall statistics you can see that the recycling rate is somewhere less than 10 percent. Compared to EU standards, we are very far away. European regulations require that 50 percent of the total waste in the country should be recycled. That is why we need informal waste collectors who undoubtedly contribute to increasing this rate, he stressed. Dina Arnaut, director of "Recycle".

– “Ready Recycling” is a social enterprise, which at the same time is the only company licensed for the management and transport of non-hazardous waste in Macedonia, with the hope that in the future we will have more such initiatives like ours, where through our current success we will try to encourage and motivate people to recycle, and thus we can all get a cleaner and healthier environment – ​​says Arnaut.

The director of "Ready Recycling" pointed out in the studio interview that unfortunately the greatest support for their company and their mission for ecology comes mostly from international organizations in Europe instead of from domestic institutions and local authorities.

– Recognizing the weaknesses of the system for collecting and later selecting waste in the country, we as a company are trying to change the method and accessibility of ideas for recycling and how to do it. Citizens want to live in a clean environment, to care for each other, for the environment and for the future, but although there are mechanisms through which this can be done, sometimes it is really difficult to understand how they function. Therefore, I appeal to the state to be more actively involved in the recycling process, but also to help companies that deal with this issue – Arnaut assesses and adds that some local authorities and companies still have an understanding of recycling, but lack the expertise and finances to make it more accessible.

"Ready Recycling" says that institutions at all levels need to share in the process of recycling garbage, not only through control systems and legal regulations, but also through motivation, tax incentives, etc. As Arnaut explains, the support of the media also plays a very important role in raising awareness among citizens about waste collection and management.

More from the interview with Dina Arnaut from "Ready Recycling" in the video above.