Students of primary and secondary schools in Canton Sarajevo (CS) collected 17.000 pieces of packaging waste at the BUDI SRCE – ODVAJAJ OTPAD competition, held as part of the project “Efficient waste management system in CS”, in which 275 green islands will be installed in the city in the coming days.
The first place was taken by the Elementary School “Hasim Spahic” Ilijas and the Secondary School of Applied Arts, while the second place was taken by the Elementary School “Sokolje” and the Secondary School of Mechanical Engineering. The start of the project was made official with the painting of a mural in the “Hasim Spahic” Elementary School, where students under the mentorship of muralist and street art artist Benjamin Cengic painted the mural BUDI SRCE – ODVAJAJ OTPAD, as a symbol of care for the environment that surrounds us.
“As a prize, all four schools won a concert party in the schoolyard for the last day of the school year, while the other schools won a Bluetooth speaker. All participants were awarded certificates of appreciation, winners were awarded plaques, and all schools participating in the project were awarded a set of waste sorting containers (blue, yellow, and green). We want to spread awareness of the importance and regular practice of sorting recycling waste among the younger generations, so a prize competition was organized on this occasion. It is an open call to which nine Sarajevo schools applied, which in a very short time collected as many as 17.000 pieces of packaging waste. This is a huge step towards the establishment of an efficient waste management system in CS,” said Samir Arnautovic, project manager from the organization “People in Need”.
In the coming days, the installation of green islands is underway at more than two hundred locations in Canton, which will enable citizens to sort plastic, paper, glass, and metal separately from other waste. In this way, recycling will be increased and the lifespan of the Smiljevici Landfill will be extended. The equipment was purchased in cooperation with partners from the Czech Republic.
The project “Efficient waste management system in CS” is implemented by the international organization “People in Need”, in partnership with Utility Services RAD d.o.o. Sarajevo and Dekonta with the support of the Government of the Czech Republic, thanks to which over two million BAM were invested in CS for the purpose of establishing a more efficient waste management system.
