Recycle and win a prize: New competition as motivation to protect the environment of Bosnia and Herzegovina
As part of the CETAP public awareness campaign “Let’s adopt new habits! Let’s use waste!”, a new competition for communities has been launched and is open to all citizens.
The competition lasts from June 1 to December 28, 2026 , and participants have the opportunity to win prizes every week by simply recycling cans, plastic bottles and glass bottles, with publication on social networks.
Three winners are drawn each week – so every recycled item counts.
How to participate?
1. Take your bottles or cans and take them to the nearest green recycling island or packaging return facility.
2. Take a photo before you put them away for recycling.
3. Post the photo to your Facebook or Instagram story.
4. Tag ProjectCETAP on Instagram or CETAP on Facebook and use the hashtag #UsvojimoNoveNavike
And that’s all. Even recycling just one bottle or can earns you participation in the weekly draw.
If you use a Reciklomat (Ekograd) or a TOMRA device – which are part of the RECIRCLE project, financed through the INTERREG IPA IV-A program Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro 2021-2027 – feel free to mark the operator of the device you use, as well as the RECIRCLE project.
What can you win?
Every week, three lucky winners will win:
– A branded organic cotton T-shirt
– A canvas bag made from recycled materials
– A CETAP eco-guard plush toy, made locally in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Why is this important?
Every photo you share is much more than an entry into a prize draw. It shows your community that recycling is simple, visible, and worthwhile. Together, we are building a culture of change with small steps and supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina’s journey towards a circular economy.
CETAP cooperates with citizens, schools, businesses and local institutions to make waste reduction, reuse and recycling a part of everyday life. This competition is an invitation for you to be a part of that story.
Learn more and get involved HERE .
Recycle. Share. Inspire. Use #Let’sAdoptNewHabits.
CETAP is a technical assistance project funded by the European Union that supports Bosnia and Herzegovina in transforming its approach to waste management. By promoting separate collection, reuse and recycling, in accordance with the principles of the circular economy, the project contributes to reducing the impact on the environment and opening up new economic opportunities. CETAP also supports the process of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s accession to the European Union by harmonizing domestic waste management practices with the European Green Deal and the circular economy framework, thus laying the foundations for a more sustainable and resource-efficient future.
EU launches a nationwide public awareness campaign on sustainable waste management across Bosnia and Herzegovina “Let’s adopt new habits! Let’s use waste!”
Banja Luka, 1st June 2026 – The public awareness campaign in Bosnia and Herzegovina entitled “Let’s adopt new habits! Let’s use waste!”, financed by the European Union, was presented today in Banja Luka at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Republika Srpska, following successeful kick-off events held in Sarajevo and Brčko. The event brought together representatives of key sector institutions, relevant stakeholders and representatives of the European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina, who jointly expressed their support for the campaign and reaffirmed their commitment to improving sustainable waste management in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
During the event, the speakers emphasised the urgency of improving waste recovery through separation, reuse and recycling throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, calling on institutions, the business sector, as well as the citizens to adopt new habits and contribute to a more sustainable waste management system.
“Today we continue the rollout of this public awareness campaign here in Banja Luka, following successful kick-offs in Sarajevo and Brčko. The campaign highlights how everyday choices shape our environment, health and future. With the support of the European Union, Bosnia and Herzegovina is aligning its waste management system with EU standards and moving away from the ‘take–make–dispose’ model. The European Union remains a strong partner in this process. To date, we have invested nearly 140 million EUR in environmental protection, including waste management and environmental infrastructure. However, lasting change depends on all of us, institutions, businesses and citizens alike,”
said Antonella Di Sandri, Head of Section for Economic Development, Green Transition and Investments at the Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The campaign is implemented within the EU-funded technical assistance project CETAP and is an integral part of the European Union’s long-lasting support to Bosnia and Herzegovina in strengthening environmental protection and waste management, in line with the EU standards.
Addressing the audience, Duško Solomun, Assistant Minister for Environmental Protection at the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Construction and Ecology, stated:
“We must jointly recognize that our natural resources are limited. That the recovery and reuse of waste materials represent a significant economic opportunity — an opportunity that reduces our dependence on primary raw materials by reintroducing waste streams into production processes as secondary raw materials.
The Government of the Republic of Srpska fully recognizes the importance of this transition and the long-term benefits it can bring. The Government of the Republic of Srpska is also aware that the transition from a linear to a circular economy is a demanding and complex process, so it is essential that this process is managed in a manner and at a pace that will not negatively impact the economy or the well-being of our citizens.
The EU’s assistance is also important in this process, which, through IPA funds and through projects such as the CETAP project, is helping us in this transition from a linear to a circular economy.”
A central feature of the promotional events is the presentation of the Eco Guardians – a team of educational and friendly characters, each representing a specific waste stream. Through clear, engaging and easy-to-understand messages, the Eco Guardians demonstrate how proper waste separation gives materials a “second life”, reinforcing the message that everyday items such as paper, glass, plastic and bio-waste are not waste, but valuable resources.
The aim of the campaign is to encourage behavioural change and inspire citizens across Bosnia and Herzegovina to adopt everyday waste separation habits and to recognise waste as a valuable resource, said Edward Scott Crossett, Team Leader of the EU-funded CETAP project.
CETAP (Circular Economy Technical Assistance Project for Improving the Recovery of Materials from Waste through Separate Collection, Reuse and Recycling) is a European Union project supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina’s transition towards sustainable waste management. The project promotes the development of new markets for waste as a resource, enhances recycling capacities and municipal services, and supports the drafting of legislation aligned with the EU Waste Package. It also provides support to competent institutions in establishing sustainable systems for the collection and treatment of specific waste streams, in line with circular economy principles.
Attachments: Brand Book – overview of the campaign’s complete visual identity, campaign logo and characters. More information about the campaign and its activities is available at: www.cetap.ba
Media contact information:
Project CETAP communications team
Email: info@cetap.ba
Phone: +387 33 563 582
