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Circular economy and agricultural waste management in Croatia

Circular economy (CE) tends to be sustainable by copying the nature where everything returns to the cycle. The reason for that lays in the fact that world human population is growing by geometric progression as well as waste disposal. Furthermore, the application of the economy in a linear way as before is affecting the degradation of the environment. In the European Union, more than half of the total waste relates to agricultural waste (1.3 and 0.7 billion of tons, respectively). Unlike other EU countries, which is considered as the most green-conscious region in the world, Croatia is only at the beginning of its way to the circular economy transition. The circular economy does not tend to the mere waste disposal, but it goes a step further in the direction of waste management and re-production and recycling of waste into new useful products. The agricultural waste is harvest residues, excrements of domestic animals and residues from the fruit and wine industry among others. These byproducts can be raw-material for new re- cycled products (organic fertilizers, compost, products of the food and pharmaceutical industry, electric power etc.) that have their own market value and can represent additional income for farmers. The aim of this paper is to give literature in- depth review about CE and situation regarding agricultural waste management in Croatia. On a base of this analysis we will present information regarding CE regulatory frame in EU and Croatia as well as position of Croatia regarding adoption of EUCE incentives (eco- innovation index and eco- innovation scoreboard). The special part will address the issue of waste management in agriculture, with respect to Croatian situation and praxis. On a base of this results we will contribute the knowledge regarding CE and waste management and offer recommendations for a better solution of waste management problem in Croatia.

circular economy ; agriculture ; Croatia ; waste management

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