High school students in Breza explored sustainability through BiH SuTra “Zero Waste” workshops “Eco Influencer for a Day”

Within the BiH SuTra project, activities are continuously being implemented to support local communities in the process of sustainable transition, including awareness raising, capacity building and the promotion of circular economy principles. The workshops in Breza represented a concrete activity focused on working with young people and promoting sustainable transition through education.

The workshops were organized at MSŠ “Mehmedalija Mak Dizdar” Breza and brought together students from MSŠ “Mehmedalija Mak Dizdar” Breza and Gymnasium “Muhsin Rizvić” Breza. Implemented within the youth engagement and awareness-raising activities of the BiH SuTra project, they aimed to raise awareness among young people about environmental protection, responsible waste management and the principles of circular economy, while encouraging critical thinking, active youth engagement and creative expression through digital tools and interactive learning approaches focused on sustainability challenges and environmental responsibility.

The three-hour workshops titled “This is not your typical ecology class – Be a sustainability influencer for a day” combined theoretical and practical learning. During the theoretical part, participants discussed key environmental topics, including living with less waste, sustainable habits and the environmental impact of fast fashion and plastic pollution. Students were also introduced to awareness campaigns such as “Plastic surgery” and “Green music tour”, which demonstrated innovative approaches to environmental communication and activism.

The practical segment focused on teamwork and creative expression. Students worked in groups to develop short awareness-raising campaigns, including TikTok and Instagram-style videos, educational memes and creative digital content promoting sustainable lifestyles and responsible waste management.

In the first workshop, held with students from MSŠ “Mehmedalija Mak Dizdar” Breza, participants were divided into four groups: “Royal”, “Ekonomska grupa”, “Milka” and “Ma ne znam”. After presenting their ideas and campaigns, the group Royal received the highest number of votes. Their campaign proposed a community clean-up action at the Partizan playground in Breza, turning awareness into a concrete call to action.

In the second workshop, held with students from the Gymnasium, participants collaboratively produced a short social media video addressing the issue of improper plastic waste disposal and the excessive use of plastic, aiming to raise awareness among their peers in an engaging and relatable format.

The workshops were facilitated by the BiH SuTra team together with Marijana Kandić, who contributed her expertise in youth engagement and educational programmes. Through education and practical work, Marijana promotes waste reduction and sustainable lifestyles and has extensive experience in delivering workshops on waste reduction for different target groups.

Reflecting on the workshops, trainer Marijana Kandić highlighted the importance of finding approaches that resonate with young people: “Yesterday in Breza, we had two workshops lasting almost three hours each with groups of high school students who initially looked at me with expressions clearly saying, ‘Why do we need this?’ We talked about sustainability as a movement – from how much water is needed to produce a single T-shirt, to why one in three girls considers clothes ‘old’ after wearing them only twice, to very practical small steps each of them can take as a meaningful contribution to a more sustainable lifestyle and environmental protection. Nobody fell asleep and one student even interrupted me to argue with me, which was honestly the best sign that we were on the right track. Then, during the practical part, they picked up their phones and within an hour created TikTok videos and visuals about sustainability in their school – entirely by themselves, from concepts to filming and even evaluating each other’s work by raising hands. I am truly fascinated by the creativity and digital literacy of these young people, as well as the fact that you can engage them even in topics like sustainability if you find an angle close to them. Who knows, maybe today in Breza we gained a few young sustainability ambassadors.”

By directly involving young people in discussions on sustainability and circular economy, the BiH SuTra project continues to support local communities in building knowledge, encouraging active participation and promoting sustainable transition in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

BiH SuTra project is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency in Bosnia and Herzegovina and implemented by the Stockholm Environment Institute.