Circular Living: How Reuse, Repair, and Resourcefulness Are Already Part of Bosnian Life
Circular Living: How Reuse, Repair, and Resourcefulness Are Already Part of Bosnian Life
For many people across Bosnia and Herzegovina, the principles of circular living are anything but new. They are woven into daily habits, family traditions, and community life. From careful reuse to creative repair, Bosnians have long practised the art of making things last.
Tradition Meets Modern Sustainability
Generations in Bosnia and Herzegovina have grown up with a deep respect for resources: glass jars turned into pantry staples, clothes mended and passed down, leftover food transformed into tomorrow’s meal, and food waste turned into compost.
Today, these values remain strong. In towns and villages, it’s common to see shoes repaired rather than discarded, furniture restored instead of replaced, and garden produce carefully preserved. These are not merely nostalgic customs; they are living examples of circular thinking.
Everyday Reuse and Repair
Walk through a neighbourhood market and you’ll find countless signs of this resourcefulness. From jars refilled with homemade jams and ajvar, to old tools handed down through families, reuse is part of everyday life. Tailors and cobblers—once thought to be disappearing trades—are thriving in many communities, offering affordable repairs that keep clothing and footwear in circulation.
In rural areas, where self-sufficiency remains a point of pride, circular living is even more visible. Composting kitchen scraps, reusing building materials, and repairing farm equipment is the done thing. These practices reduce waste, save money, and keep valuable resources in use.
The Circular Spirit in Cities
Urban centres are seeing a revival of repair and reuse culture too, and looking to use more sustainable materials to make goods. Across Bosnia & Herzegovina, entrepreneurs are creating successful businesses which focus on sustainability and support a circular economy.
In fact one used clothing retail chain has only 2% waste from their sorting process, meaning almost 98% of all incoming garments are re-used or resold.
Fashion brand MAGBAGO based in Bijeljina produces stylish clothing using plant-based and biodegradable materials to drive sustainable fashion. Tamara Djuric, an ecopreneur and founder of MAGBAGO said:
"A more circular economy is essential for Bosnia and Herzegovina because it builds on traditions of resourcefulness and respect for nature that have always been part of our culture. Our grandmothers already had this mindset long ago – saving, reusing, and repurposing everything, from glass jars and bottles to fabrics. I see great potential in simply bringing back that way of thinking, and with it, we can reduce waste, spark innovation, and create healthier communities for the future."
Even digital platforms are joining the movement. Online marketplaces for second-hand goods are booming, giving items a second life and reducing the need for new production.
These ventures and others like them showcase how the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s are bringing back a history of ingenuity, restoration and circular practices into a 21st century economy.
A Culture of Resourcefulness
Circular living is about more than recycling bins or government targets. It’s a mindset: valuing what we have, finding new uses for old things, and sharing resources within our communities. Bosnia and Herzegovina has a natural advantage here. The culture of resourcefulness is already embedded in daily life. What’s needed now is support to scale these practices and connect them to modern systems of collection, sorting, and recycling.
Linking Past and Future
As Bosnia and Herzegovina moves toward EU membership and embraces ambitious environmental goals, these long-standing habits can form the foundation for national circular economy strategies. Rather than starting from zero, policymakers and businesses can learn from the ingenuity of everyday people.
Project CETAP (Circular Economy Transition Action Plan) aims to highlight and strengthen this connection. By celebrating local traditions of reuse and repair, and by supporting modern infrastructure for recycling and recovery, CETAP is helping to reflect cultural wisdom into modern policy and practice.
The Opportunity Ahead
Imagine a future where the entire country benefits from this natural circular mindset. Where small-town repair cafes are supported by municipal programmes. Where every city offers collection points for reusable goods. Where schools teach children not just to recycle, but to value materials from the start.
Bosnia and Herzegovina already holds the blueprint for such a future. It’s in the homes where jars are refilled and clothes are mended. It’s in the neighbourhood markets where second-hand goods change hands. And it’s in the collective spirit of a people who know that nothing should be wasted.
Circular living is not a new idea. It’s a way of life. By recognising and expanding these historic traditions, Bosnia and Herzegovina can lead the way toward a truly regenerative, resilient economy—proving that the best solutions for tomorrow may already be found in the wisdom of yesterday.
