Waste is any substance or object that the holder discards, intends to discard or is obliged to discard. Improper disposal of municipal waste can create unsanitary conditions, which in turn can lead to environmental pollution and outbreaks of vector-borne diseases, that is, diseases spread by rodents and insects. Solid waste management tasks represent complex technical challenges. They also present a wide range of administrative, economic and social problems that must be managed and resolved. In Croatia, the responsibilities of waste management are determined by the Law on Sustainable Waste Management. The main participants of the central government are the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, the Ministry of Regional Development and European Union Funds; The Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund (EPEEF). Previously, a relevant role was played by the Croatian Agency for the Environment and Nature (CAEN), but since 2018 it has become part of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development. Croatia does not have enough capacity to create policies at the EU, national or local level. Competences at different levels of management (central, regional, local) are not clear, and cooperation between different institutions and bodies is insufficient. It is very unlikely that the institutions will implement the necessary reforms. Political will and high-quality intersectoral cooperation is essential for the establishment of an effective waste management system that will ensure the achievement of the goals of the European Union. Most of the responsibility for the waste management system lies at the local level. Only a few of the 556 local self-government units have institutional, managerial and financial capacities for sustainable waste management. Financial projections are made for a period of three years, but the scope of the necessary investments requires a longer time horizon. Medium-term planning is needed at the local and national level so that realistic investment projections can be made.