Law on waste management.

This Law regulates the principles and objectives for waste management, strategies, plans and programmes for waste management, the rights and obligations of legal entities and individuals in relation to waste management, the manner and conditions under which collection, transportation can be performed, including reuse/recycle, treatment, storage, processing and disposal of waste, import, export and transit of waste, establishment of information system, as well as financing and supervision of waste management. The provisions of this Law shall apply to all types of waste listed in the List of types of waste referred to in article 15 of this text, except for: 1) gases released into the atmosphere; 2) land, including unexcavated contaminated soil and land under buildings that are permanently connected to it; 3) uncontaminated soils and other natural materials excavated during the construction activities, when it is certain that the material will be used for the purposes of construction in its natural state at the location from which it was excavated; 4) radioactive waste; 5) deactivated explosives and explosives; 6) wastewater, with the exception of liquid waste; 7) animal products, including processed products covered by the regulations for by-products of animal origin, other than those intended for incineration; disposal or use in biogas or composting plants; 8) carcasses of animals that are disposed of in accordance with the regulations for by-products of animal origin; 9) waste generated as a result of exploration, exploitation, processing and storage of mineral raw materials and operation of quarries in accordance with the regulations for mineral raw materials; 10) sediments moved inland to surface waters for water and watercourse management or to prevent floods or to mitigate the effects of floods and droughts or to land reclamation, if it is proven that sediments are not dangerous and 11) fecal matter; if they are not covered by item 7) of this Article, straw and other natural agricultural or forestry materials that are not dangerous and are used in agriculture, forestry or for the production of biomass energy through processes or methods that do not endanger human health and do not harm the environment.
The purposes of this Law are aimed to grant the following: 1) avoid and, as far as possible, reduce the amount of generated waste; 2) utilization of usable components of the waste; 3) sustainable development, through preservation and conservation of natural resources; 4) prevention of negative impacts of waste on the environment, life and human health in accordance with the principles of circular economics; 5) disposal of waste in a way that is environmentally friendly and 6) high degree of protection of the environment, life and human health. Waste management is an activity of public interest, which is performed in accordance with the provisions of this Law and regulations adopted on the basis of this Law. The Law on environment shall also apply to waste management, unless otherwise regulated by this Law. In order to achieve the goals of environmental protection and health of people in the development of waste management policies, a waste management hierarchy is applied in the following order and priority: prevention of waste generation; preparation of waste for reuse; waste recycling; other types of waste processing, including processing for obtaining energy; waste disposal.
Waste according to the source of its creation, its properties and characteristics, is classified by type in the List of waste types, which represents summary list of waste types classified into categories, in which each type of waste is marked with a special mark. The waste in the List of types of waste is classified into the following categories: waste generated as a result of exploration, mining, exploitation of stone, physical and chemical treatment of minerals; waste from agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture, forestry, hunting and fisheries, food preparation and production; waste from wood production and production of panels and furniture, pulp, paper and cardboard; waste from leather, fur and textile industry; waste from oil refining, natural gas purification and pyrolytic coal treatment; waste from inorganic chemical processes; waste from organic chemical processes; waste from production, formulation, supply and use of coatings (paints, varnishes and enamels), adhesives, seals and printing inks; waste from the photographic industry; waste from thermal processes; waste from chemical surface treatment and coating of metals and others materials as well as from hydrometallurgical processing of non-ferrous metals; shaping waste and physical and mechanical surface treatment of metals and plastic; waste oils and waste liquid fuels (except oils used in foodstuffs); waste organic solvents, refrigerants and fuels; packaging waste, absorbents, wipes, filter materials and protective clothing not otherwise specified; waste not otherwise specified in the List; construction and demolition waste (including excavated soil from contaminated soil); waste from human or animal health care or related research (except kitchen and restaurant waste that does not result from immediate health care); waste from waste management facilities, waste treatment plants off-site water and preparation of water intended for consumption by man and water for industrial use; municipal waste (household waste and similar commercial waste, industrial and administrative activities) including separately collected flows.
This text is divided into sixteen thematic Chapters and a total of 150 articles. Chapters are entitled as follows: I. General provisions; II. Types and classification of waste; III. Waste management strategy, plans and programmes; IV. Waste management at the regional level; V. General rules for waste management; VI. Dangerous waste management rules; VII. Safe waste management; VIII. Permits for performance of waste management activity; IX. Landfills; X. Burning or combustion of waste; XI. Import, export and transit of waste through the territory of the Republic Northern Macedonia; XII. Informational systems; XIII. Financing; XIV. Supervision and competent authorities; XV. Misdemeanor provisions; and XVI. Transitional and final provisions.