Novo Mesto closes the waste cycle

A landfill already existed in Novo Mesto. But the Slovenian city and neighbouring municipalities wanted to get more out of their waste. Therefore, they decided to build a joint waste treatment plant, which was awarded through a public tender process. The winning bid came from a local construction company, which then entrusted us at ATZWANGER with designing and constructing the electromechanical part.

“The design and construction took about a year and a half,” explains Manuele Lesa, project manager at our Palmanova site. “Although it is a small plant with a total treatment capacity of 25,000 tonnes per year, it represents state-of-the-art technology.”

Three types of waste are treated in Novo Mesto: organic waste from separate collection, municipal solid waste, and bulky waste. “There is great flexibility in the way we treat waste within one facility,” Lesa emphasises. “And, of course, each type of waste has its own dedicated area.”

Organic waste is turned into high-quality compost. Bulky waste is shredded to reduce its volume before being sent to landfill. Mechanical treatment plants separate municipal solid waste, recovering materials such as metals that have value and are recyclable. Biological treatment sections use the most advanced technologies to optimise the process while minimising environmental impact.

“Our strong points, the biotunnels, are used for both organic and residual waste,” explains the expert. “Put simply, they are fully enclosed modules that allow for precise control of biological processes.”

The plant also meets the strictest European environmental standards. “There is no smell at all,” Lesa says with satisfaction. “We have installed innovative odour control systems.”

This plant only needs five people to run it. Thanks to us at ATZWANGER, waste becomes raw material here.