BiH SuTra presents key achievements and fosters cooperation towards a sustainable transition in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The event brought together representatives of the Embassy of Sweden in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina (MoFTER BiH), the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), Norrköping Municipality, participating local governments and other partners to strengthen cooperation and exchange practical knowledge and experience on sustainable local development.

The two MoU agreements establish a framework for cooperation between Norrköping Municipality and the Municipality of Banovići and the City of Živinice, with a particular focus on the exchange of knowledge and experience in waste management, circular economy and sustainable development.

The partnership creates opportunities for practical exchange between local governments, allowing the participating municipalities and city to learn from each other’s experiences and explore approaches that can be adapted to local needs.

”Norrköping Municipality welcomes this opportunity to work closely with Banovići and Živinice and to exchange experiences in the field of waste management. By learning from each other's challenges and successes, we can develop better solutions for waste prevention, recycling and circular resource use. We see this partnership as a valuable platform for mutual learning and innovation, contributing to sustainable development and stronger communities in both Sweden and Bosnia and Herzegovina.” Karin Faxér, Environmental Strategist, Norrköping Municipality, Sweden.

For Banovići and Živinice, cooperation with Norrköping provides an opportunity to learn from Swedish experience and explore approaches that can be adapted to local needs.

“Green transition ultimately has to translate into concrete changes at the local level. This is why our cooperation with Norrköping is particularly important to us. Exchanging knowledge and experience in waste management, circular economy and sustainable development can help us improve our approaches and find solutions that respond to the needs of our citizens. We want this cooperation to go beyond signing a document and lead to practical learning and new initiatives that benefit our local communities. BiH SuTra has created an important opportunity for this exchange, and we look forward to developing it further,” said the Mayor of Živinice, Began Muhić.

“Cooperation with Norrköping is a valuable opportunity for Banovići to learn from practical Swedish experience in waste management and circular economy,” said Mehmed Hasanović, the Mayor of Banovići. “Through this Memorandum of Understanding, we want to strengthen the exchange of knowledge and identify approaches that can be adapted to our local needs and contribute to better waste management services. We see this as a long-term partnership that can bring practical benefits to our local community and support our efforts towards a more sustainable future.”

Representatives of Norrköping also shared practical insights into the municipality’s waste management system and operations, illustrating how local services and planning can contribute to more efficient and sustainable waste management. The exchange provided an opportunity for partners from Bosnia and Herzegovina to learn more about approaches used in Sweden and discuss their relevance for local contexts.

The event also highlighted the role of the Waste Composition Study (WCS) in supporting better waste management and circular economy planning. Tomas Thernström, circular economy expert at SEI, presented the study’s potential to support Eko Sep’s future development and outlined opportunities for continued SEI support. Lejla Alagić from Eko Sep presented the company’s future vision and potential use of the study, while Adem Mostarlić from the Municipality of Banovići presented the findings of the WCS pilot and plans for developing a general Waste Composition Study for Eko Sep.

The WCS provides an important evidence base for understanding the composition of municipal waste and how this information can be used to improve waste management planning. “Understanding the composition is essential for making better decisions about how it should be managed. This initiative aims to establish a practical and harmonised methodology that will provide comparable and reliable data across municipalities,” said Tomas Thernström. By providing a clearer picture of waste composition, the study supports better planning of collection, sorting and recycling, while helping identify opportunities for resource recovery and more effective investment in infrastructure and services. It also offers a useful and inspirational example for other local governments across Bosnia and Herzegovina".

Together, the cooperation with Norrköping and the work on waste composition illustrate how BiH SuTra is connecting local priorities with practical knowledge and experience from European partners. By creating opportunities for knowledge exchange and supporting local governments in developing solutions tailored to their needs, the project contributes to the broader transition towards low-emission, more resilient and sustainable communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

About the BiH SuTra project

The BiH SuTra project is implemented by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) in partnership with the BiH Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations (MoFTER BiH) and supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). The project supports Bosnia and Herzegovina’s sustainable transition and contributes to the EU Green Agenda for the Western Balkans. Its goal is to foster the capacities of local communities to efficiently implement environmental and sustainable transition policies. At the heart of the initiative is the principle of just transition – ensuring that the shift to a low-carbon economy creates new opportunities, protects jobs, and improves living conditions for citizens in these communities.