Rubbish-covered lake brings to light Balkans waste problem

[Demovictory9]

PRIBOJ, Serbia (AP) — Trucks and building machines are parked on a river dam in southwest Serbia but not for construction work. Instead, huge cranes are being used to clear tons of garbage crammed at the foot of the power plant.

Serbia and other Balkan nations are overwhelmed by communal waste after decades of neglect and lack of efficient waste-management policies in the countries aspiring to join the European Union.

Burning rubbish dumps can be seen from the roads, plastic bags are hanging from trees and islands of waste are floating down the region’s rivers. The problem usually comes into focus in winter, when swollen waters sweep over landfills, pushing the garbage toward hydropower dams.

https://apnews.com/article/europe-dams-serbia-lakes-europe-8e2fd7db45763b8fe36c68c6e0292342

This has been the case at the Potpec accumulation lake near the power plant after a spate of rainy and snowy weather in December and early January. The surface of the lake got covered in a thick layer of waste ranging from plastics to rusty metal scraps, tree trunks and even reportedly a coffin.

https://apnews.com/article/europe-dams-serbia-lakes-europe-8e2fd7db45763b8fe36c68c6e0292342

[Submariner]

1. That's the freshwater version of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Too many within our species are slobs.

[Demovictory9]

2. exactly

[judesedit]

4. OMG! Can that ever be remedied?

[Submariner]

5. There are technologies that can clean up the mess

but it's going to take our willingness to spend the money to do it.

If the shipping container companies like Maersk, the LNG and oil tankers and cruise lines, etc,. all chipped in, a huge effort could probably clean it up in a couple of years. World-wide opinion will determine when and if a cleanup occurs, because out there, out of sight is out of mind.

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[judesedit]

7. I agree to some extent, but what about all the plastic being detected in marine life and the liquids

being dumped with the trash. Who knows what it'll take to clean these messes up. So sad. Very lazy, spoiled, uncaring people to blame.

[keithbvadu2]

6. Rubbish covered beaches

A massive 'tsunami' of plastic waste covers Honduras beaches

https://upload.democraticunderground.com/110873557

And the ocean

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1127113422
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Just dump it in the river (Ecuador)

https://imgur.com/gallery/rRPw2Wg

https://i.imgur.com/2yUNjRx.mp4

[Demovictory9]

8. omg. that is sickening.. the dumping in the river