Sustainable solid waste management needs more dedicated attention in respect of environmental and human health protection. Solid waste containing persistent organic pollutants is of special concern, since persistent organic pollutants are persistent, toxic and of high risk to human health and the environment. The objective of this investigation was to identify critical points in the Serbian system of solid waste and persistent organic pollutants management, to assure the life cycle management of persistent organic pollutants and products containing these chemicals, including prevention and final destruction. Data were collected from the Serbian competent authorities, and led us to identify preventive actions for solid waste management that should reduce or minimise release of persistent organic pollutants into the environment, and to propose actions necessary for persistent organic pollutants solid waste. The adverse impact of persistent organic pollutants is multidimensional. Owing to the lack of treatment or disposal plants for hazardous waste in Serbia, the only option at the moment to manage persistent organic pollutants waste is to keep it in temporary storage and when conditions are created (primarily financial), such waste should be exported for destruction in hazardous waste incinerators. Meanwhile, it needs to be assured that any persistent organic pollutants management activity does not negatively impact recycling flows or disturb progress towards a more circular economy in Serbia.

The paper aims at supporting and catalysing discussions (and possible options) on how the widely common waste management concept could be efficiently transformed to a level where phasing out residual waste becomes technically feasible. As such, this paper presents thoughts on the (possible) future meaning of term "waste", but it also addresses the important relationship between the terms "waste" and "level of country development". Although this research greatly deals with policy issues, the analysis shows that the crucial role in delivering the path of development will be in the hands of chemical and environmental engineers. However, it will be necessary to break the link between economic growth and waste growth/management/prevention.

This paper presents the application of life cycle assessment (LCA) modelling used in the process of comparing the best technology for disposal municipal solid waste (MSW) in the Banjaluka region. Three scenarios were considered: unsanitary landfill, sanitary landfill with gas collection and burning on flare and sanitary landfill with energy recovery. The Banjaluka landfill is currently an unsanitary landfill because a system for collecting and treating gas has not yet been implemented. The environmental impact from the current waste management system is dominated by the landfill, which has no gas collection. The construction of the gas collecting system with flare is planned for 2015 (70% efficiency, during 30 year period) which will make the Banjaluka landfill a sanitary landfill. The long-term plan encompasses using the landfill gas for heat generation (39% efficiency) and electric energy (19% efficiency), as well as improvement of leachate collection system (from present 60% to 80%) and gas collection (from present 70% to 85%). Landfill with energy recovery leads to saved emission and avoided impact potential in several environmental categories. A sensitivity analysis is applied to the sanitary landfill with gas collection and burning on flare. The results of sensitivity analysis for sanitary landfill with flare indicate that the overall environmental impact is sensitive to the gas collection efficiency, bulk density and period of gas collection.

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