Establishment or revision of legal measures, including bans or restriction on specific categories of plastic packaging and/or products considered problematic or unnecessary: Our Public company Voka Snaga has been actively involved in the government's new decree on packaging and waste packaging. The decree is an implementation document under the changes to the environment protection act passed in October 2020. It lays down the rules and conditions for packaging production, use, market placement and distribution in Slovenia, as well as the rules of waste packaging treatment, with the main objective being to prevent the waste from piling up.

Delivery of awareness raising and education campaigns: A long-term perspective communication campaign “Waste is scarier than it seems” is part of our efforts directed towards a safer, sustainable oriented and well managed environment. Awareness of the consequences of waste in the sea is already wide spread, but less about rivers, creeks and ponds. In addition, we want to use the campaign to examine and change our stance to too often completely unnecessary single-use products, such as straws and plastic bags.

Promotion of innovation in business models and/or other alternative solutions to drive elimination of problematic and unnecessary plastic packaging and/or products: As we are aware of the importance and quality of locally produced food, we published a Guide to Ljubljana's local care for sustainably aware gourmets. With buying food directly from local farmers, we are stimulating the elimination of problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging. The Green Supply Chains project by Ljubljana Tourism, offers hotels and restaurants in Ljubljana the possibility to purchase 100 % locally produced foods via a uniquely managed and simple to use platform.

Other actions taken: Ljubljana Tourism is replacing plastic packaging with environmentally friendly or even canceling the packaging. In Tourist Information Centers we offer products with green note and multiple purpose, e.g. washable masks, made of recycled plastic bottles (protective masks are made in Slovenia from a waste layer packed in 100% biodegradable material and washable at 60°C) and some souvenirs, for example, reusable green cup, that is made of naturally grown organic bamboo fibre and steel water bottle.

Single-use plastic bags,Single-use plastic cups,Single-use plastic cutlery/tableware,Single-use plastic straws

Provide more details about the selected actions - Establishment or revision of Extended Producer Responsibility schemes: The extended producer responsibility (EPR) system will be comprehensively overhauled as required by EU law, which needs to be done by 2023.

Provide more details about the selected actions - Delivery of awareness raising and education campaigns: Ongoing and planned communication campaigns are part of our efforts directed towards a safer, sustainable oriented and well managed environment. One of the challenges is plastics. Because of its versatile and simple everyday use at low cost we are completely overwhelmed with products made of plastic, and the quantities we are producing and using have excessively increased. Our aim is to focus on promoting better consumer practices and strengthening our cooperation with other stakeholders.

Other planned actions: We are preparing a circular economy strategy, which will also include measures related to plastic packaging and single use plastic products. The circular economy strategy will be adopted by the City Council in Autumn 2021.

Piloting or scaling up of reuse solutions/systems: An architectural solution for urban waste collection center Povšetova with a reuse center has been selected. An architecture/design contest for the network of mini collection centers is in progress. On 3 locations within the City administration we have establish Exchange markets for the exchange of still useful objects like books, toys, clothes, cutlery… In the period July 2020 - May 2021 public company Žale sold 150.849 candles, 24,5 % of all sold candles were ecological, without plastics.

Delivery of awareness raising and education campaigns: We are promoting drinking fountains in order to decrease the need to buy bottled water. There are 44 public drinking fountains in Ljubljana, locations are visible in the app Tap Water Ljubljana. Local restaurants and hotels are also encouraged to participate in serving tap water. The ongoing efforts have been paying off in the meetings and events industry. Open kitchen that is held Every Friday (assuming the weather is good) at Pogačarjev trg offers food and drink only in recycled materials.

Promotion of collaboration with the private sector, including small and medium-sized enterprises, and civil society organisations: We were an associated partner in Interreg project SURFACE. In May 2020 we have signed a Local Agreement that brings the local reuse stakeholders together to one table. We presented our reuse activities on the international interactive forum 9. 2. 2021. Public company Žale collaborates with the social company BOLJE for the sale of the environment friendly candle EDINA. Promotion took place via the Facebook page, website company ŽALE, website company Bolje. Common PR articles were also written.

Other actions taken: In Ljubljana we are facing the spread of invasive alien species tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus). We have prepared a DIY recipe how to produce a mosquito trap from household plastic waste (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ive9tSCpaoo).

Piloting or scaling up of reuse solutions/systems: We will continue with the establishment of Povšetova urban waste collection center with a reuse center.

Activities are underway for the implementation of an architecture/design contest for the network of mini collection centers. In 2022, the opening of two such centers is planned.

We will continue to establish Exchange markets within the City administration.

Delivery of awareness raising and education campaigns: We will continue with establishing new public drinking fountains in the City and promotion of drinking tap water.

Ljubljana Tourism will continue on encouraging the visitors to act green during their stay in the city also by avoiding the single use of plastic. Ljubljana Tourism will continue to provide recommendations for a green and responsible visit to Ljubljana and will continue publishing them on regular basis on Ljubljana Tourism social media channels.

Promotion of collaboration with the private sector, including small and medium-sized enterprises, and civil society organisations: We will continue to be an active partner in the reuse family (post SURFACE project).

Other planned actions: We are preparing a circular economy strategy, which will also include measures related to plastic packaging and single use plastic. The circular economy strategy will be adopted by the City Council in Autumn 2021.

Other actions taken: Ljubljana’s Reuse Centre features the Bert vending machine, which sells organic cleaning supplies, shampoos, several varieties of vinegar and oil to customers who bring their own (reusable) packaging. Bert offers package-free, local, sustainable, high-quality products at competitive prices. As the sales part of the Reuse Centre was closed most of the 2020 due to the epidemic, the quantities sold are negligible and therefore not listed.

Delivery of awareness raising and education campaigns: Our public water and waste management company Voka Snaga will prepare notices that will educate users of obligations, prohibitions and anticipated fines regarding the waste management. Notices will be placed on all underground collection points in the city center, and we will also equip containers on eco-islands with warnings.

Other planned actions planned: We are preparing a circular economy strategy, which will also include measures related to plastic packaging and single use plastic. The circular economy strategy will be adopted by the City Council in Autumn 2021.

Investment in infrastructure: New underground waste collection bins were installed. Since 2008 Ljubljana initiated replacing containers in the city centre with underground collection points and thus rationalise waste management and improving city appearance.

Promotion of collection, sorting, reuse and/or recycling schemes (e.g. deposit return schemes): In line with the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment and Zero Waste Strategy followed by Ljubljana we have set ourselves the goal to increase the share of separately collected packaging waste. In 2020 we have nearly reached our target of the Zero Waste commitment, where we are committed to collect separately 45 kilos of packaging per capita (we actually collected 44 kilos).

Delivery of awareness raising and education campaigns: Our Public waste management company Voka Snaga has a special awareness raising campaign on waste management https://www.ljubljana.si/sl/aktualno/smeti-so-nevarnejse-kot-se-zdi/ and we are actively participating in different waste prevention activities https://www.ljubljana.si/sl/aktualno/pricel-se-je-evropski-teden-zmanjsevanja-odpadkov/.

Investment in infrastructure: We plan to build two collection centers, to set up two mini collection centers in the city districts and to establish a completely new type of municipal waste collection points with bins for waste textiles and small electrical and electronic equipment.

Support for products containing recycled plastics through public procurement: When citizens produce more residual or biological waste than usual, they can use special Voka Snaga’s bags, made of 100% recycled plastic material. The price of the bag includes the cost of further waste management. 50- and 100-litre bags can be bought online or in some shops and at petrol stations. Bags are also used by legal entities (bars, restaurants, shops, etc.) for residual or biological waste generated during their trade and service activities. In 2020, a total of 21,300 bags were sold.

Other actions taken: The Covid-19 epidemic had a major impact on the public events organization. Public events could not be organized in most of the reporting period.

Other planned actions: We are preparing a circular economy strategy, which will also include measures related to plastic packaging and single use plastic. The circular economy strategy will be adopted by the City Council in Autumn 2021.

A long-term perspective communication campaign “Waste is scarier than it seems” is part of our on-going efforts directed towards a safer, sustainable oriented and well managed environment ensuring a high quality of life for us and future generations. Awareness of the consequences of waste in the sea is already wide spread, but less is said about waste along rivers, creeks and ponds. In addition, we are using the campaign to examine and change our stance to too often completely unnecessary single-use products, such as straws and plastic bags.

The transition of Ljubljana towards circular economy is based also on being a role model for our citizens. We inform, educate and encourage all our public employees to behave sustainably, in a circular manner and take green decisions. With circular challenges for city employees, we are testing good circular practices in the fields of mobility, shopping, everyday life and food waste. We will be successful as long as each of us recognizes that sustainable, circular choices are achievable, feasible, and competitive. The implementation of circular challenges also positively contributes to the recognition of the City of Ljubljana as a socially responsible employer and the acquisition of a certificate confirming this.

Since November 2020 we are co-chairing the EUROCITIES Working group on waste. In 2020, the working group prepared EUROCITIES policy statement on Packaging & packaging waste (Making waste a resource).

We are preparing a circular economy strategy, which will also include communication and educational measures related to plastic packaging and single use plastic. The circular economy strategy will be adopted by the City Council in Autumn 2021.

We consider communication an on-going process in order to achieve social and behavior change. We try to adopt as much as possible to citizen's needs. Different age groups demand different use of communication channels. In 2020 we have recorded a big influence of Covid-19 epidemics on waste management habits. Our public water and waste management company Voka Snaga has collected almost 50 tons more waste just on green public areas than in 2019. This requires a more detailed analysis of the situation and an appropriate educational response.

Ministry/department of Environment / Sustainable Development / Natural Resources / Energy

In October 2020 Ljubljana additionally committed itself to the transition to circular economy. We have joined a group of signatories of the European Circular Cities Declaration. The European Circular Cities Declaration was presented on 1 October 2020 at the 9th European Conference on Sustainable Cities - Mannheim2020 at the political forum Circular economy in cities. The declaration was prepared by a broad group of European organisations advocating the transition to circular economy at the local level.

We have public tenders for co-financing NGO's projects. Our public companies and public institutions are carrying out various awareness raising project, with citizen’s led activities. In the reporting period this was obstructed by Covid-19 pandemic.

Events in public areas: Event organizers are encouraged to organize events that are environmentally friendly. They must follow the guidelines set out in the Event Management Manual according to the principles of sustainable development: https://www.ljubljana.si/assets/Razpisi/Prirocnik-za-organizacijo-dogodkov-po-nacelih-trajnostnega-razvoja.pdf

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Impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic: The waste management habits of citizens have changed. In 2020, our public water and waste management company Voka Snaga has collected almost 50 tons more waste just on green public areas than in 2019 (predominately single-use take away plastics). Shops and caterers were closed down most of the reporting period. Also due to Covid-19 epidemics most of public events were cancelled.

Other: In Slovenia, cities have a very limited jurisdiction in plastic ban and none in recycling. We are only in charge of collection, sorting and landfilling of household waste. All other waste related policies are determined and carried out at the national level, including collection of data. So that leaves for cities in Slovenia a very little maneuver room to make a very ambitious commitments on recycling or plastic ban."