Let’s wrap up The Balkans Go Circular conference
It was a pleasure to have you at The Balkans Go Circular
virtual conference!
This conference is just the first step of a long journey toward the implementation of the circular economy in the Balkans. A journey we are looking forward to!
The circular economy gives us many opportunities to change what is wrong in our world now. We can solve many problems like pollution and landfills. But we can do it only if we join our efforts, share knowledge, experience, and information. More importantly we need to be determined. That is the road toward a different future, other than the one that is now ahead of us. We need to work together to make a transformation from the linear, inefficient system in which we are living now, to the circular system that will help us live better and more responsibly to the environment.
Who was with us?
During the two days of the conference, we have got a chance to learn from the experts and practitioners from the circular economy world. We enriched our knowledge and adapted our mindsets for the new world that is coming.
In these strange times full of new challenges and dares, we managed to gather a couple of hundreds of people. Everyone passionate about the circular economy and environmental issues got a chance to learn from each other. Most of us got answers for some questions we wanted to ask for a long time, and we used a chance to interact with eminent speakers from the circular economy world.
We were delighted to virtually host speakers like Harald Friedl, the world-leading circular economy expert. Mister Friedl passionately discussed the issues we are facing in the implementation of the circular economy. At the same time he provided useful insights about the negative, but also positive effects coronavirus had, has and will have on the circular economy. His interactive lecture was a final flourish of this conference.
What do you think? Has pandemic enabled the circular economy to be implemented sooner? Or has it made the implementation stop and wait for better times?
Of course, there are pros and cons, but the circular economy implementation is inevitable in the years to come if we want to continue existing on this planet.
Virtual and the real-life event – the best of both worlds
The current situation prevented us from making a big real-life event, from having small talks during coffee breaks and exchanging our feelings and ideas about the thought-provoking points the speakers made. Despite the given circumstances, we didn’t want to give up on the experience of the live conference. Thus we used virtual technology to enable us to experience our conference halls and lobbies.
All of you who couldn’t follow the lectures on time had a chance to watch the recordings later on – that’s what the digital era and virtual conference gave us in return. We need to prove that we can adjust to changes fast because the world we live in requires it.
The 21st century is all about flexibility, as well as the circular economy.
What did we talk about at The Balkans Go Circular virtual conference?
We talked about some interesting concepts in the circular economy, tackling the functionality and feasibility of circular cities and explaining the significance of the circular economy. Concepts like zero waste and recycling are often misunderstood and that is why our speakers clarified them for us. Defining these concepts made it possible to draw a clear line between recycling and circular economy. Our speakers explained some other important concepts, like product design and materials flow as crucial for the circular economy.
Besides that, our lecturers helped us discover some relevant and useful insights about the situation in the Balkan countries. We talked with the experts from Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and each of them explained to us the specificities in their countries. They talked about the practical challenges they were facing in the past and the ambitious plans they have for the future.
Enjoy, engage, and excel
What we hope is that we accomplished the purpose of this conference, that we tickled your imagination and inspired you to learn more about the circular economy and focus on its implementation in the Balkans. We hope we helped you to enjoy, engage, and excel because that’s what we wanted you to experience during these two days.
We wanted you to
- enjoy – to take delight or pleasure in this event.
- engage – participate or become involved in the lectures and the circular economy implementation in the future.
- excel – perform exceptionally well in implementing the circular economy.
Why?
Because we want you to use this approach in the future, as well. Only if we all enjoy the process, if we truly engage in all the activities we are doing and if we excel in them, we will reach circularity in our economy. We need more enjoyment, engagement, and excellence in this world, and we wanted you to be part of that.
What are the further steps we should all make?
Most importantly, don’t let this conference be one of the many you will forget after a while. We tried hard to make it something that will have a permanent impact on the way you live and the way you see the world. Keep up and wait for more inspiring lectures about the circular economy in the future. We promise we will make it worth it.
Implement circularity in your life. Talk about it to others because we need to work together in order to make this world a better place for us and for future generations. We will be there, by your side to give you our support.
Let’s enjoy, engage, and excel together!
