Zadar is ending waste disposal at the old landfill. This is an important step, but not a completed remediation. For households and holiday rental owners, the crucial distinction is between the landfill and the recycling centre.
An end to disposal, not to all services
After more than six decades, no further waste is to be deposited at Diklo landfill from 1 November 2026. Mayor Šime Erlić announced the decision on 13 October. According to the city, mixed municipal waste has not been delivered there since November 2025.
The physically separate recycling centre will remain in operation. Reading the headline “Diklo closes” as meaning that this collection facility will also disappear confuses two facilities. Nor is the closure date proof that the entire area will have been remediated by then.
Further steps are still needed for remediation
The city reports a completed remediation concept. Preparation of further documents has been commissioned; some land-related questions remain open. A decision from the responsible ministry is pending for the environmental documents. Discussions on financing the actual remediation are to follow, which the city identifies as a priority for 2027.
This does not establish a reliable construction start or completion date. The main project, permit and funding must first be clarified. The announced closure therefore ends further waste disposal; dealing with the existing landfill body is a separate undertaking.
Bulky waste is being discussed in parallel
A public consultation on an addition to the municipal waste rules runs from 12 October to 11 November. The draft proposes two locations for mobile treatment of bulky waste: the Diklo recycling centre at Put Nina bb and a site in the Crno business zone. According to the consultation page, the existing recycling centre lies outside the landfill remediation and closure project.
This is a draft, not a blanket authorisation to accept waste. Treatment is to remain subject to applicable rules, permits and protective measures. Comments can be submitted using the published form or to komunalno.savjetovanje@grad-zadar.hr. The documents and the later outcome therefore form part of the story’s next stages.
What to clarify before delivering waste
For a household, holiday apartment or small business, the practical question is not just “open or closed?”. The waste type, receiving facility and its conditions are decisive. Before loading, ask whether your material will be accepted and what quantities, proof or fees apply; the closure news does not answer these individual questions.
Especially when moving home or renovating, disposal should be planned before transport. A recycling centre that is still open is not automatically responsible for every load. Leaving waste beside a gate or at a collection point does not replace an agreed handover.
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Kildene underbygger fakta. Planleggingsråd og anbefalinger er Golden Beachs redaksjonelle vurderinger.
- Odlagalište Diklo zatvara se za sav otpad!Grad Zadar · 13 October 2026Closure date, existing recycling centre and outstanding remediation steps; no completion date
- Nacrt odluke o dopuni Odluke o načinu pružanja javne usluge sakupljanja komunalnog otpada na području Grada ZadraGrad Zadar · 12 October 2026; participation until 11 NovemberDraft status, Diklo and Crno sites, continued operation of the recycling centre, deadline and participation route
