Why waste habits are important

Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to face significant challenges in the area of ​​solid waste management, especially when it comes to separating waste at source and ensuring that materials are used and recycled instead of ending up in landfills.

In order for the campaign to be focused on the everyday experiences of citizens, CETAP started the process by listening to the situation on the ground. An initial, nationwide baseline survey of public awareness provided insight into the reasons people separate or do not separate waste. Changing behavior depends on three key elements: ability, opportunity and motivation. The research analyzed each of these elements in cities throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. In all environments, motivation achieved the highest result – which indicates that people throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina want to improve the way in which waste is handled.

The campaign’s message is simple, yet powerful – small changes in daily habits can have a big impact, especially when people have access to opportunities and knowledge to participate more in recycling.

Meet the Eco Guardians

To bring this message to life, the campaign introduced Eco Guardians – a group of friendly, educational heroes designed to engage audiences of all ages.

When waste ends up in the wrong place, nature loses its power. That’s when the Eco Guardians come on the scene. Each of the characters represents a particular waste stream and shows how proper separation gives materials new life.

• Kartonko , the hero of paper and cardboard, reminds us that every box deserves a new opportunity, by turning something old into something new.
• Flaško , the hero of glass, demonstrates the power of infinite regeneration of glass, protecting resources through proper waste separation.
• Plasta , the plastic hero, warns of the dangers of irresponsible plastic disposal and shows how recycling can prevent pollution.
• Bananko , the hero of biowaste, teaches us how food scraps can become compost, new energy, and fertile soil.

Together, they convey a clear message: a banana peel, a glass bottle, a cardboard box and a plastic cup are not trash – but resources.

The campaign will be launched with three public events across the country – in Sarajevo, Brčko and at another upcoming event in Banja Luka.

These events bring together representatives of key sectors and key actors on the project, the Delegation of the European Union, experts in the field of waste management and circular economy, as well as partner organizations – emphasizing that improving waste management is a shared responsibility.

In Sarajevo, Europe House also presented the success of its “Trashformers 2025” campaign, a school competition aimed at educating children about good waste management practices. Leaders of sustainable business also contributed in Brcko, including Tamara Đurić, founder and director of Magbago, an ecological fashion brand.

From awareness to action

During 2026, the campaign will be implemented in stages, guiding citizens and competent institutions, raising their awareness and leading them towards knowledge, changing attitudes and daily practice. Following the January launch, activities include regular articles, newsletters, social media content, media interviews and success story videos.

In the spring, the focus shifts to the learning process and active participation, through community competitions in partnership with the Ekograd organization, encouraging recycling through their Recyclomats, as well as the Trashformers 2026 school competition, realized in cooperation with Europe House, with the aim of engaging young people.

Who is responsible for the waste we produce?

As with all big questions, the answer is not simple. As consumers, we choose what we purchase and how we dispose of it; as businesses, we choose what we sell and how we sell it; while public utility companies (RADs) work within their budgets to collect, sort, and recycle waste. Governments and Local Self Government Units have the task of developing policy and legislation which will improve waste management practices.

In a circular system, waste is no longer a problem to be hidden, exported, or imported – it is a resource to be managed collectively. For Bosnia and Herzegovina, this shift does not depend on a single policy, campaign, or investment, but on the co-ordinated actions of citizens, businesses, and institutions, each playing a distinct and essential role.

When we look at waste in this context, we see that the problem is not owned by one actor alone and in fact the responsibility is shared by all. After all we are all ultimately responsible for the waste we produce as a society.

Challenges

While Waste Management Plans are being developed in line with EU standards and local legislation – which will improve what and how items can be recycled in Bosnia and Herzegovina – it is also important to consider what more can be done now.

It is essential to recognise the challenges citizens face: whether a lack of knowledge about the benefits of reducing waste in BiH; limited access to household recycling infrastructure, or low motivation to recycle because it sits low on a list of more immediate concerns.

There is no point in shying away from these challenges. Acknowledging them does not mean that citizens are powerless.

Households: Where Circularity Begins

As consumers, we can flip the question of waste responsibility on its head and ask: who is responsible for the waste we don’t produce? The biggest impact we can have on waste output is to prevent it in the first place—and that starts at home.

There is a model known as the “waste hierarchy”, which ranks waste management options according to what is best for the environment:

1. Prevention
2. Preparing for Re-Use
3. Recycling
4. Recovery
5. Dispose

Often, when people think about improving their waste impact, they focus on recycling. However, within the waste hierarchy, recycling sits only in third place. Reducing and reusing are not only easier but far more impactful than recycling, recovery, or disposal. And waste prevention sits at the top of the hierarchy and delivers the greatest economic and environmental benefits.

Households are the first point at which materials either retain value or become waste. How citizens sort, store, repair, reuse, or discard products directly determines whether materials can re-enter the economy or are lost to landfill.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, many citizens already practise informal circularity, repairing appliances, reusing packaging, and extending product life out of necessity. Yet without consistent collection systems, clear guidance, and trust that sorted waste will be treated properly, these efforts can often feel futile.

The transition requires more than telling people to “recycle better”. It requires confidence, clarity, and convenience – systems that reward participation. When citizens understand why separation matters, have the ability to recycle and can see the impact of their actions, behaviour change follows.

Businesses: From Waste Generators to Solution Providers

Businesses sit at the centre of material flows. They design products, choose packaging, manage logistics, and influence consumption patterns. In a linear model, waste is a cost. In a circular one, it becomes a strategic asset.

For companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina, circularity offers clear opportunities:

• Reduced material costs through reuse and secondary raw materials.
• New markets for repair, refurbishment, and recycling services.
• Stronger alignment with EU standards, improving export competitiveness.

As part of CETAP, a Waste Exchange Platform is being designed and developed. This platform will allow businesses across the country to sell their ‘waste’ to other organisations that can use these materials as valuable inputs and resources.

We’re also reviewing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes which are a critical tool in this transition. They shift accountability beyond disposal and towards full product lifecycle responsibility—encouraging better design, financing collection systems, and supporting recovery infrastructure.

However, EPR works only when businesses are engaged as partners, not just payers. Transparent rules, fair enforcement, and predictable systems allow companies to invest confidently in circular solutions.

Institutions: Enabling the System to Work

Governments and public institutions hold the framework together. Their role is not to manage waste directly, but to create the conditions in which circular system for waste management can function.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina’s complex governance landscape, coordination is just as important as legislation. Aligning entity-level regulations, strengthening enforcement, supporting municipalities and cantons, and ensuring data transparency are all essential steps.

Equally important is public trust. When citizens and businesses believe institutions are capable, consistent, and fair, participation increases. Circular economy policies succeed not through control, but through credibility.

Institutions also play a crucial role in enabling investment—using economic instruments, incentives, and funding mechanisms to unlock private-sector participation and modernise infrastructure.

Shared Responsibility, Shared Benefit

A circular economy challenges the idea that responsibility for waste management can be isolated. No single actor can deliver change alone.

• Households cannot separate waste if systems fail them.
• Businesses cannot invest if rules are unclear or unevenly applied.
• Institutions cannot enforce circularity without public and private buy-in.

But when these roles align, momentum builds quickly.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has strong foundations for this shared approach: deep-rooted community values, a growing private sector, and increasing alignment with European Union policy frameworks. What is needed now is a collective shift in mindset—from “who is to blame?” to “how do we act together?”

A Circular Future Is a Collective Choice

Responsibility for waste is not about pointing fingers; it is about recognising inter-dependence.

Every sorted bottle, every redesigned product, and every aligned policy decision contributes to a system where materials retain value and waste loses meaning. Circularity is not imposed—it is co-created.

CETAP exists to support this shared journey: strengthening policy, engaging institutions, supporting businesses, and building public awareness so that Bosnia and Herzegovina can move from fragmented responsibility to shared solutions.

Because the circular transition will not be delivered by one actor alone—but by all of us.