Overflowing landfills, mixed waste, and illegal dumping are contributing to severe environmental pollution in Kosovo, Albania, and Montenegro. The three Western Balkan nations remain far from meeting EU standards and have been ranked among the top ten globally for failing to separate waste at its source, according to a report by the London-based Lloyd’s Register Foundation.
Obiliq, Kosovo
Every time Sërxhan Milliq steps into his backyard, he is confronted by the sight—and smell—of a massive landfill.
“I don’t know what to say. We live here because we have to. You can smell it yourself,” says the 72-year-old resident of Palaj, a village near Obiliq, in central Kosovo.
In an area already polluted by coal-fired power plants, the daily nuisance of dust and smoke from the plants has been overshadowed by the stench of garbage.
“This summer was unbearably hot, with no rain. We couldn’t open doors or windows because of the smell,” Milliq explains.
The Mirash landfill, located about 500 meters from Milliq’s home, is Kosovo’s largest legal waste disposal site, collecting around 160,000 tons of garbage annually from at least six municipalities. Built in 2006 without proper standards, the landfill has exceeded its capacity and operational lifespan.
A 2022 report by Kosovo’s Public Waste Management Company (KMDK) labeled the landfill as a “permanent environmental hazard,” with risks to public assets, health, and even lives.
Situated in a former coal mining pit, the landfill lies below a nearby lake, leading to gradual flooding.
“The issue with wastewater at this site has been out of control for years because the wastewater collection point is flooded,” says KMDK’s director, Dardan Velija.
He cites long-standing underinvestment, mismanagement, and poor planning as the root causes. Untreated gas emissions from the landfill also pose fire risks.
Annual reports from KMDK warn that the site may contaminate groundwater in surrounding villages.
The EU has repeatedly urged Kosovo to close and rehabilitate the landfill due to its negative environmental impact. However, neither KMDK nor the Kosovo government has outlined a public plan or timeline for its closure.
“Without new disposal facilities, closing it is practically impossible,” says Velija.
Plans are underway for urgent interventions at Mirash until a new landfill, funded by the EU and German government, is constructed, possibly starting next year.
While seven other state-owned landfills in Kosovo also require interventions or closure, they continue to operate, contributing to soil pollution across the country, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
A flawed system of waste management
Tahir Krasniqi, from the Center for Environmental Education and Development (CEDE), criticizes Kosovo’s linear waste management system, which involves dumping all types of waste into landfills without recycling.
“There’s no circular approach to recycling or reusing waste,” he says.
Only about 5% of waste is recycled in Kosovo, mostly through informal systems or private initiatives, according to the Kosovo Agency of Statistics.
Illegal dumping remains widespread, with nearly 400 unregulated landfill sites across Kosovo.
A 2024 report by Lloyd’s Register Foundation ranked Kosovo third globally for households failing to separate waste, with 84% of respondents admitting no waste sorting at home. Only Gabon and Ivory Coast scored worse.
Montenegro and Albania also appeared in the top ten.
Albania’s incinerator woes
In Albania, one of Europe’s fastest-growing tourist destinations, an incinerator project aimed at improving waste management and energy production has been plagued by corruption scandals.
Of the three planned incinerators, only one is operational, while the other two remain traditional landfills. Recycling has dropped to 18%, down from higher rates in 2021.
Environmental expert Lavdosh Ferruni criticizes the shift to incinerators for discouraging recycling efforts.
“Instead of advancing waste management, it set us back,” he says.
In Fier, residents complain that the non-operational incinerator has worsened conditions by polluting nearby farmland.
Montenegro’s burning landfills
In Montenegro, which has declared itself an ecological state, illegal landfills continue to pose major environmental challenges.
One of the worst examples is Mostina, near Rozhaje, where waste has been dumped for decades, often catching fire and emitting toxic smoke.
Local activists like Denis Muriq blame the site for a rise in lung cancer cases, although official data linking the two is lacking.
After public pressure and protests, local authorities pledged to close Mostina and redirect waste to a regional landfill by 2025.
Challenges to EU integration
Kosovo, Albania, and Montenegro aspire to EU membership, which requires recycling at least 50% of waste by 2030. However, all three nations are far from meeting these standards.
With poor waste management systems and widespread illegal dumping, these Western Balkan countries face significant obstacles to aligning with EU environmental directives.
