How the illegal dumping of toxic waste in a Croatian town sparked national calls for clean-up
Residents of Gospić, Croatia, have launched a national campaign to demand the cleanup of illegal toxic waste sites that have plagued their town for years. Recent environmental testing confirmed the presence of hazardous 'forever chemicals' in local groundwater, sparking widespread public outrage.
Why it matters
This case illustrates the growing power of grassroots environmental activism in addressing industrial pollution and government negligence.
A woman at a national protest against toxic waste dumping in Zagreb earlier this month. A woman at a national protest against toxic waste dumping in Zagreb earlier this month. Waste How the illegal dumping of toxic waste in a Croatian town sparked national calls for clean-up After years of illegal mass flytipping in Gospić, fed-up residents decided to take matters into their own hands
Pippa Neill Environment reporter Fri 25 Sep 2026 07.00 EDT Share Prefer the Guardian on Google “G ospić is our home,” Željka Šikić shouted to a crowd of 40,000 people outside the Croatian parliament earlier this month. The slogan is the name of a campaign she helped to set up to protest against the illegal dumping of waste in Gospić, a town in the mountainous Lika region of central Croatia .
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