In Sarajevo Canton, more and more packaging ends up in recycling and not in the landfill, announced the cantonal Protocol and Press Service.
Data of KJKP “RAD” d.o.o. Sarajevo show that the amount of collected packaging intended for recycling – bottles, cardboard, glass, cans – increased from 559 tons in 2022 to 995 tons in 2024. This is a growth of almost 80 percent in two years, achieved by expanding the network of recycling containers, educating citizens and a series of concrete projects. In 2025, 802 tons were collected, which is still significantly more than in 2022 (+43%), but it is a decrease compared to the previous year.
In the past period, KJKP “RAD” handed over 2,519 pieces of old devices – televisions, computers, household appliances for safe disposal and recycling, more than 27 tons of electronic waste. More than 28 tons of used tires were also collected, which ended up in the Kakanj Cement Factory, where they are used as fuel, instead of being sent to the landfill. Through the European project GREEN-TEX, in cooperation with SERDA, ten new smart containers for old clothes and textiles were installed.
In 2026, KJKP “RAD” signed an agreement on cooperation with the utility company from Hildesheim, Germany, as part of the GIZ green transition project in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A new analysis of the composition of waste in Sarajevo Canton was also prepared, which will serve as a basis for further development of the recycling system.
In the field of education, more than 4,000 elementary school students annually learn how to properly sort waste, and through the “Recycling Week” project, young people from all over the Canton are actively involved in environmental actions. Training was also conducted for the employees of the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the companies Deloitte BiH and Becky.works.
From August 12, 2026, a new law on packaging will enter into force throughout the European Union. Restaurants, hotels and cafes will no longer be allowed to put small plastic bags of ketchup, sauce, sugar or salt on the tables, they will have to replace them with reusable dispensers. According to data from the European Commission, about 40 percent of plastic in the EU goes to packaging, and packaging makes up almost half of marine waste. The goal is to reduce the amount of packaging waste per inhabitant by 15 percent by 2040.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is not yet a member of the EU, but the Canton of Sarajevo is following that direction and building a system that will be ready for future requirements.
Speaking about the achieved results, the Prime Minister of Sarajevo Canton Nihad Uk emphasized the importance of a systemic approach to environmental protection.
“What KJKP ‘RAD’ undertakes is the construction of a system that protects our city and our citizens. Growth of 80 percent in two years shows that when there is a system that works and when people understand why sorting is important, change is possible. We will continue to invest in this system both in terms of infrastructure and through education, because Sarajevo Canton must be ready for the standards to come,” he stated.
Director of KJKP “RAD” d.o.o. Sarajevo Emir Dobrača points out that the results are the result of daily work and many years of building the system.
“Behind every ton of packaging that ends up in recycling stands someone’s decision to throw it in the right container. The glass we collected in 2022 – we collect four times as much today. FIVE bottles – five times more. This does not happen by itself, it happens because we have people in the field, because we work with children in schools and because slowly but surely the awareness of citizens is also awakening. I am proud of the team that does this every day. We are convinced that there is a lot of potential for achieving even better results, and we have set ourselves the additional improvement of this segment as one of our goals. Our goal is for the Canton of Sarajevo to be an example of good practice in the region and beyond in this transition,” said Dobrača.
