Fostering a circular economy is a crucial piece of building a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient economy in the Western Balkans. The environmental imperative of finding more efficient and greener business models, combined with the economic benefits of transitioning to more resource efficient circular practices has led to increasing interest among businesses to participate in the circular transition. However, businesses require targeted support from institutions to facilitate these transitions. This is especially true for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) who form a significant percentage of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s companies and will undoubtedly be key actors in the country’s circular transition. Given the recent rise of circular economy ideas, many institutions find themselves unequipped to offer effective support to these businesses. For this reason, the Association Center for Energy, Environment and Resources (CENER 21) is proud to announce the successful completion of 2 trainings delivered to key institutions and business support organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

These trainings were held as part of the UNDP-supported project: Assessment of circularity of construction and packaging industries. The construction and packaging industries are recognized as vital areas of focus for circular transition. As such, the project focused on initiating high-quality support to spur circular transition in these industries. As a part of this objective, the knowledge and skill gaps of institutions and SMEs were evaluated and compiled in a training needs analysis. This analysis informed the content of 2 training programs aimed at capacity building for institutions to support circular institutions in the construction and packaging industries, with a focus on SME support. In total, 30 representatives from 14 institutions participated in the training program. This included representatives from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska ministries, Brčko District departments and chambers of commerce across BiH.

The comprehensive training program began with an introductory training session in Doboj held from May 16th to 17th, 2024. This session focused on introducing institutions to the circular economy and the role institutions can play in supporting a circular transition. Participants learned the key ways institutions can support circular initiatives of businesses, with time dedicated to themes such as strategic planning, technical support and capacity building, mobilizing finances, awareness raising, stakeholder engagement and education, and research and innovation. Through the training institutions gained insights through exploration of EU best practices in institutional support, exploring current and potential initiatives to accelerate circular transition. Theoretical knowledge was applied through hands-on modules where participants evaluated case studies and conducted strategic mapping exercises. Moreover, a highlight of the training was field visits to companies actively implementing circular solutions. These visits to the Doboj recycling company “Omorika Reciklaža” and the company “Variplast” in Gračanica allowed participants to observe circular practices firsthand, gather insights on industry challenges, and discuss future plans for supporting these and other companies.

Following the success of this first training session, a second session was held from June 6th to 7th, 2024, in Vitez. Building on the foundational knowledge and capacity gained from the previous session, the training focused on the strategic priorities of the European Union and Bosnia and Herzegovina, specific policy instruments to promote circularity, and the current state of circularity within packaging and construction companies, as well as the particular significance of packaging design within the circular economy. Through theoretical and interactive modules, institutions explored the EU regulatory framework for the circular economy, and how this impacts Bosnia and Herzegovina’s packaging and construction sectors. This included exploring the current packaging and construction practices, opportunities for more circular design, the implications of key EU frameworks, and strategies that institutions can use to facilitate circular transition in these specific industries. The knowledge gained from these modules was further expanded through a study visit to the company “Heidelberg Materials Cement BiH” (formerly Kakanj Cement Factory). This visit allowed practical engagement and demonstration of circular practices being used in the construction industry, such as circular design practices, resource efficiency strategies of the industrial symbiosis concept, the utilization of wase-derived fuels and implementation of circular water resource management, as well as transparent management practices through ESG and CBAM reporting.

Through these trainings, institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina are more equipped to effectively provide institutional initiatives to support circular transition in the construction and packaging sectors. This increased capacity is clear when reviewing the pre and post training knowledge assessments, which showed an improvement of 61%, rising from 27% to 88.%.

The project Assessment of circularity of construction and packaging industries through which these trainings were held is a part of the larger project Translating the SDG Framework in Bosnia and Herzegovina into Sustainable and Inclusive Growth, supported by the Embassy of Sweden in Sarajevo and implemented by UNDP BiH in collaboration with UNICEF and UN Women.