© 2022 All Rights Reserved.
The Sport #WithoutWaste concept is spreading across the Balkan partner countries, as the first grassroots sport events are organised in a more sustainable way. The activities focus on the education component to bring the concept to the national context and organise the events with relevant infrastructure and guidelines.
Despite the recent turbulent events in Turkiye, the first pilots of the grassroots sport events #WithoutWaste took place at the end of the last year with the focus being on cycling. In coordination with the Sustainable Green Campus of Uludag University, and University of Mugla, the national partners from the Envercevko team delivered a workshop for the students and staff on bicycle as a mode of urban transport, as well as on how to produce less waste at the activities. As a means of educating the students on sustainability in sport, in partnership with the provincial directorate of National Education, Envercevko visited schools around the area. At the end of March, Cycling #WithoutWaste reached Fethiye Girne College, as its students cycled to Çalış Beach from the city center and joined the clean-up on the beach to raise awareness of sustainability. This year, the Envercevko team plans extend further to Istanbul to arrange a cycling tour #WithoutWaste.
In Romania, the activities carried out were focused on the organization of indoor events given the unfavorable weather conditions for outdoor activities, and they had a sports-recreational and informative character regarding the collection of waste produced by athletes or spectators during sports events. AJSPT Suceava team held 9 events #WithoutWaste overall within February and March, primarily focusing on students and teachers – volleyball and football tournaments, National School Sports Olympiads for athletics, pentathlon, table tennis, etc., and capoeira festival. The organizers ensured the separate waste collection at the events, as well as the informative stands.
In March 2023, a national coordinator in Hungary, the Hungarian School Sport Federation (HSSF) set up an educational stand at the specific national and county final events of the Diákolimpia® (Student Olympics) by the end of the school year, where students can play different thematic games. These games aim to provide useful information on sustainability, particularly selective waste collection, and to give tips and advice on waste-free sports. At the weekend the programme was launched at Student Olympics in basketball national final for amateur 15–19-year-old-students ’in Kecskemét. Young high school basketball players had their first chance to try the SWW quiz, they were curious about the target shooting and the wheel of fortune. The Sport #WithoutWaste concept was also featured on the national media.
In Bulgaria, the national coordinator BG Be Active set up the plans for more than 20 events #WithoutWaste across the country. “Peak to Creek 2023” is one of the first ones to come under the title Sport #WithoutWaste and committed its participants to the cause of sustainable grassroots sport events. The “Peak to Creek 2023” triathlon started from Bezbog hut on March 25th, with each participant competing in three disciplines; skiing, cycling and kayaking in swift water. All triathletes went through an opening lecture related to the topic of environmental protection and why it is important for sporting events to be committed to the idea. During the race, only reusable bottles were used, and an accompanying team ensured that the field remained clean after the participants.
One of the first activities to launch the Sport #WithoutWaste campaign in Serbia is Sport for all Ski Festival – Kopaonik 2023 organised on 22-26 March 2023, at Kopaonik mountain. The Association Sport for all Serbia, under the auspices of the Ministry of Sports of the Republic of Serbia and the Sports Federation of Serbia, organized the program of the Jubilee 30th Sport for All Ski Festival with nearly 780 participants, among which recreationists, snow sports fans, sports organizations and experts, members of branch trade unions and employees in companies and local governments from: Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Montenegro took part in the program activities this year. Before the Ski Fest, the Association had a meeting with representatives of the Recan Foundation to plan the #WithoutWaste agenda of the event: “Hoop for a clean Kop” was planned and bins for disposal of cans were provided. Bins were placed and held for 4 days of the festival to collect waste and after the festival was finished, authorized recyclers took over the recycling bins. The program concept of Ski Fest, which permanently influences the improvement of the nation’s public health, follows the Mission ACTIVE SERBIA 2030 and, by achieving its goals, provides additional values.
In Albania, Running race TEYC on March 25 launched officially the #WithoutWaste campaign in the country. The national coordinator (FSHSSH) had the support of the new partner National Youth Congress together with Tirana Municipality and the Ministry of Education and Sport with Tirana Municipal Police in control of the running race event with their 25 staff and Parks and Recreation of the Tirana Municipality. The event targeted 1 500 students, 20 high schools in Tirana, 80 teachers and 50 volunteers took care for the smooth running event. The organisers cleaned up and collected the garbage before and after event with all collaborators and volunteers to bring Albania to the latest European practices to have clean cities and grassroots and sporting events without Sport waste #WithoutWaste.
The activities will continue with partners piloting the Sport #WithoutWaste events in 6 countries throughout this year taking into an account the results of the first activities. The expert partners are currently working on the tools to support the national coordinators. If you are interested to know how to help us with project implementation, how to take part in our activities or have any questions related to topic, please, don’t hesitate to reach out to us on the following channels:
Sport #WithoutWaste is a movement initiated by BG Be Active and supported by the efforts of the partner organisations from 7 other European countries: International Sport and Culture Association (Denmark), Nabolagshager (Norway), AJSPT Suceava (Romania), Hungarian School Sport Federation (Hungary), Albanian School Sport Federation / FSHSSH (Albania), Association Sport for All Serbia / ASFAS (Serbia), and Envercevko (Turkey).
Sport #WithoutWaste is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EACEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.