In 2020, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) formalized its commitment to the circular economy by adopting the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, a roadmap aligned with the European Green Deal to achieve climate neutrality and environmental sustainability. According to the European Parliament, circular economy refers to the practice of “sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible.” Although BiH faces numerous obstacles at the federal level, including regulatory, technological, and financial challenges to transitioning towards a circular economy, local recycling initiatives, such as recycling yards and machines in Sarajevo, demonstrate how small-scale efforts can still drive progress towards achieving a more sustainable economy.
Sarajevo is home to several recycling yards that aim to improve waste collection and management practices, thereby creating a more circular economy in the city. Since 1988, Aida Commerce has purchased and recycled secondary raw materials, such as scrap iron and aluminum. It then expanded its business in 2013 to recycle PET bottles as well as other plastics.
More recently, Ekopak, a non-profit that operates the packaging waste management system, and ZEOS eco-system, a system operator, provided financial support to Public Utility Company (PUC) “RAD” so that it could open a recycling yard in Sarajevo in September 2022. At the yard, individuals and companies can drop off glass, plastic, electronics, and other waste items so that they can be recycled. The yard also houses a “RE-USE” facility for citizens to leave unwanted items so that others can use them. As part of a 2.6 million BAM “Efficient Waste Management System in Canton Sarajevo” project financed by the Government of the Czech Republic, the Canton of Sarajevo also started constructing a new recycling yard in Jezero in September 2023. These recycling yards help extend the life cycle of products that would normally be considered single use in BiH.
In addition to recycling yards, Sarajevo currently possess several smart recycling machines that help the city advance towards a circular economy. In collaboration with the company EKO Grad, the Tourism Association of Canton Sarajevo installed three smart recycling machines in the center of Sarajevo in August 2022 that recognize and sort plastic bottles, aluminum cans, and tetra packs order. With the goal of promoting Sarajevo as an ecologically conscious city, the first machines provided people who recycled 10 bottles with free tickets for film screenings during the Sarajevo Film Festival. EKO Grad has installed additional machines throughout Sarajevo in places such as schools and other public places, which offer benefits such as a parking pass or a ticket to a local attraction. According to KJKP Rad, which empties the machines, the installation of a recycling machine in Sarajevo led to a 300% increase in the amount of packaging waste collected.
As BiH works to develop a systemic approach to circular economy at the federal level, recycling yards and machines in Sarajevo are helping to build a more sustainable local economy. Recycling yards allow companies to sell material often considered single use, such as scrap metal, and allow individuals to save money by offering them the chance to explore the yards for disposed items they may want. Moreover, smart recycling machines provide incentives to individuals to extend the lifecycle of everyday items, like plastic bottles and aluminum cans. Additional local efforts will allow cities across BiH to progress towards achieving its environmental goals as the country increases its capacity to support circular economy projects.
Sources
Abaspahić, Haris, Vedad Sulijić, Medina Garić, and Sabina Krupić. “Bosnia and Herzegovina Circular Economy White Paper.” Center for Policy and Governance, April 2022. https://zelenaekonomija.komorabih.ba/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/White_Paper_Publication_28042022.pdf.
“Canton Sarajevo Gets a New Recycling Yard.” Sarajevo Times, September 3, 2023. https://sarajevotimes.com/canton-sarajevo-gets-a-new-recycling-yard/.
“Circular Economy: Definition, Importance and Benefits.” European Parliament, May 24, 2023. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/article/20151201STO05603/circular-economy-definition-importance-and-benefits.
“Circular Economy Report and Herzegovina.” ENV.Net, November 2018. http://env-net.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CE_Report_2018_BosniaHerzegovina.pdf.
“Efficient Waste Management in Canton Sarajevo.” People in Need, December 23, 2022. https://westernbalkans.peopleinneed.net/en/efficient-waste-management-in-canton-sarajevo-9852gp.
Istinomjer. “Recycling Machines in Sarajevo and Mostar Contributed to the Increase in the Collection of Packaging Waste.” Medium, August 1, 2023. https://medium.com/@istinomjer/recycling-machines-in-sarajevo-and-mostar-contributed-to-the-increase-in-the-collection-of-dc8959a35d51.
“O Nama.” Aida Commerce, n.d. https://aidacommerce.ba/o-nama/.
“Postavljena Ograda Oko Budućeg Reciklažnog Dvorišta „Jezero“.” Općina Centar Sarajevo, August 23, 2023. https://centar.ba/vijesti/19536/postavljena-ograda-oko-buduceg-reciklaznog-dvorista-jezero.
“PUC RAD, Ekopak and ZEOS Eco-System Opened a Recycling Yard.” Ekopak, September 11, 2022. https://www.ekopak.ba/en/news/541/puc-rad-ekopak-and-zeos-eco-system-opened-a-recycling-yard.
“The First Smart Recycling Machines in BiH Were Installed in Sarajevo.” Sarajevo Times, August 19, 2022. https://sarajevotimes.com/the-first-smart-recycling-machines-in-bih-were-installed-in-sarajevo/.