Izola, 13th May 2025 - Today, the Izola Municipality handed over a new underground ecological area in Korte, which was set up as part of the Waste design 2.0 project under the VI-A Interreg Italia - Slovenia programme.
It is the first underground eco-area in the Izola countryside. Previously, Komunala Izola established three underground areas in the city area, in December 2021 on Cankarjev drevored, followed by one on Veliki trg and one on the fishing pier as part of the Fishing Infrastructure Renewal Project.
Thoughtful choice of location
The location of the eco-area was not chosen randomly, but took into account a number of key factors such as: ensuring the safe disposal and collection of waste, the number of users, tourism, the accessibility of the site by garbage collection vehicles and the possibility of (re)development of the public area.
The underground eco-area in Korte is located in the centre of the village, close to the cooperative house, where it will be easily accessible to all villagers and visitors. The location of the eco-area has at the same time transformed the appearance of the area and improved traffic safety. The traditional containers located along the intervention route were removed and the bus stop waiting area was relocated to a more suitable location.
Robi Flego, Director of Komunala Izola, took the opportunity to thank the representatives of the local community of Korte for their constructive cooperation and emphasised: "It is important that we are able to listen to each other and find solutions for the common good in pursuit of our goals."
Benefits of an underground ecological area
The underground eco-area replaced 13 conventional waste containers and several smaller eco-area in the surrounding area. It consists of a set of five underground containers of five and three cubic metres, in which users can deposit five different fractions of waste: plastic and metal packaging, bio-waste, mixed municipal waste, paper and cardboard packaging and glass.
Using an underground waste collection facility is simple. By pressing a foot pedal, a lid or slot in the above-ground part of the bin opens, through which the user simply drops the waste. Compared to conventional containers, the above-ground part of the bin is low, making it easier for the elderly, children and people with reduced mobility to dispose of their waste. The underground collection area is also suitable for the delivery of waste by private vehicles, which is common in rural areas.
The increased capacity of the underground storage tanks allows for optimised logistics and emptying of the tanks. The buried containers are protected against water penetration and at the same time contain unpleasant odours, which are further prevented by the use of special ecological agents and periodic general cleaning.
Waste requires responsible management
Underground eco-areas are considered to be a modern, technologically advanced and high-quality method of waste management, which also further improves the quality of municipal services.
The creation of the underground ecological area in Korte was made possible thanks to the co-financing from the EU funding obtained by the Izola Municipality under the VI-A Interreg Italy - Slovenia programme. The investment was 80% financed from this source and will not affect the billing of waste collection services.
The main goal that Komunala Izola, with the support of the Municipality of Izola, has been pursuing all along, and which it hopes to achieve by setting up modern collection points, is to increase the share of separately collected fractions or waste, and the key role in this is played by the users, who contribute to the achievement of this goal by their exemplary and responsible attitude towards proper waste management.
