Sport #WithoutWaste movement in the Balkan countries is making a point!

On 20-23 May, a Sport #WithoutWaste project meeting in Belgrade brought together the partners from the pilot Balkan countries and experts from Denmark and Norway around the questions persistently discussed from the onset of the project: what is Sport #WithoutWaste movement and how this movement can tackle environmental challenges using the power of sports and promoting sustainable practices.

Background

Despite the appearing similarities between the Balkan countries at a first glance, the challenges and issues the partners are facing are vastly distinct. In order to help get a better overview of the context, the partnership conducted the research among the key stakeholders – grassroots sport organisations and schools. The study has extended the understanding of the Sport #WithoutWaste to embrace holistically the elements of the movement in the Balkan region:

  • creating and supporting the infrastructure during sports events
  • building capacity of the staff and volunteers to prevent littering
  • communicating the responsibility to recycle for participants
  • advocating for the waste-free strategies (such as reusable plates, cutlery, cups, etc.) at the sport events

It also helped recognize the unique challenges and circumstances faced by each country. In this regard, the Sport #WithoutWaste has developed the guides for the grassroorts sport and school-based events as an adaptable resource for diverse contexts. Instead of giving prescriptive measures, the resources provide suggestions to effectively plan, implement and sustain the programming of the #WithoutWaste events in grassroots sport and school settings.

Sport #WithoutWaste movement

What is the Sport #WithoutWaste movement and what makes it special? With many discussions at the meeting, the partners agreed on the following definition:

“A shared set of values with intersectoral contributions FOR everyone, starting at the individual level and supported by infrastructure and institutions, IN ORDER TO save the planet and have a sustainable society and green cities ALL around the world.”

One year after the launch of the activities #WithoutWaste, we looked in hindsight on what has been achieved by now and how the movement is being shaped in the partner countries. In the middle of the pilot activities, there are clear characteristics inherent in the context of the Balkan countries:

  1. Owning to lack of educational policies in the partners’ countries on the green practices (recycling, separate waste collection, littering prevention etc.), key efforts of the Sport #WithoutWaste movement are directed at bringing knowledge to the region about the benefits of green activities, and social responsibility for the environment. The partners come up with creative solutions to spark interest and build understanding in the youngest generations.

“In Hungary, educational stand has become a key highlight at the events for the youth to promote the separate waste collection: learning about different types of waste, the participants can win sustainable awards (reusable bottles and bags),” said Marton Konya from the Hungarian School Sport Federation.

Mihai Androhovici from the AJSPT Suceava (Romania) stressed out the need to explain the concept of recycling: “In order to showcase the recyclable materials and promote sustainable use of resources, participants of the ECO Fashion parade in Romania have presented glamourly solutions to recycle plastic and clothes. At the events, we have also promoted the recycling of light bulbs and batteries.”

  1. While having ingrained methods of organizing sports for all events, grassoorts sport organisers from all over region are introduced to new sustainable practices to reduce waste at their events. The Sport #WithoutWaste partners are teaching by example! Dozens of activities have already been conducted in the partner countries in a more sustainable way and have reduced their environmental imprint in various settings (rivers, mountains etc.).
“Rivers still remain largely polluted in Bulgaria. As a means to show a good example, Sport #WithoutWaste united a group of enthusiasts to clean up the areas around several rivers in the region of Plovdiv (Bulgaria) to take care of water spaces, while practicing physical activity,” shared Laska Nenova from the BG Be Active team.
  1. Partnership-building is important to promote the Sport #WithoutWaste movement. The project national coordinators are working with a wide range of stakeholders from the public and private sectors, civic society and non-formal groups.

“This year’s jubilee 30th Ski Fest in Kopaonik (Serbia) was supported by the Sport #WithoutWaste with a mission to reduce the waste during the winter activities. The Fest was supported by the Minister of Sports of Serbia,” highlighted Marija Ugrica from Association Sport for All Serbia.

“In Albania, the problem is further exacerbated by the lack of separate waste collection containers. We try to raise awareness among the partners by organizing clean-up interventions before and after the events,” mentioned Xheni Dimraj from the Albanian School Sport Federation.

Everyone agreed that Sport #WithoutWaste movement must be open and accessible for everyone. The movement is reaching different participants, including those from disadvantaged social backgrounds, children in need, and hearing and speech impaired students to give them a chance to contribute to global issues. The partners continue their activities in the Balkan countries, and the movement will be expanding even further.

Initiated by BG Be Active and backed by dedicated partner organizations from seven European countries, Sport #WithoutWaste is a movement designed to make sports events more eco-friendly while reinforcing the educational component within each nation’s context.

Don’t miss this opportunity to join the movement and create a lasting impact on your community! Reach out to us today to discover how you can contribute to the project, participate in our activities, or get answers to any questions you may have. Together, let’s create a future of sustainable sports events and inspire a greener tomorrow!

Find out more:
LinkedIn – BG Be Active
Email: beactive@bgbeactive.org

Sport #WithoutWaste is funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or EACEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained herein.

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