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
