Illegal dumping is choking Albania’s rivers and beaches, with calls growing for urgent action.
Albania is drowning in waste. With 850,000 tonnes of urban garbage produced yearly, much of it ends up in rivers, fields, and coastlines. Plastic, glass, and debris flow into the Adriatic, turning once-pristine shores into dumping grounds.
“Rivers have become landfills,” said Mirsad Basha of the environmental group Eko Mendje. Volunteers in Velipojë recently cleared piles of trash, but he says that’s just a band-aid solution. “We need accountability—businesses, authorities, and locals must act.”
Tourism, a key part of Albania’s economy, is taking a hit. “Visitors arrive, but the filth drives them away,” said activist Sugerta Hysenaj.
Activists are demanding tougher enforcement, calling for an environmental police force to crack down on offenders. “Fines, not clean-ups, will stop this mess,” Basha added.
Recent floods have made things worse, pushing waste from Shkodër into the sea. Montenegro and Croatia are now complaining about pollution drifting into their waters, adding pressure on Albania to clean up its act.
