From no recycling to zero waste: how Ljubljana rethought its rubbish

Fifteen years ago, all the Slovenian capital's waste went to landfill, but by 2025, at least 75% of its rubbish will be recycled. How did the city turn itself around?

Words and photographs by Luka Dakskobler

From the lush green hill you can see Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, in the distance. Populations of deer, rabbits and turtles live here. The air is clean and the only signs that we are standing above a 24-metre (79 feet) deep landfill are the methane gas pipes rising from the grass.

Ljubljana is the first European capital to commit to going zero-waste. But fifteen years ago, all of its refuse went straight to landfill. "And that is expensive," says Nina SankoviA of Voka Snaga, the city's waste management company. "It takes up space and you're throwing away resources."