One Shoreline at a Time: YEAs Unite for Cleaner Coasts

This September, YEAs across the Western Balkans joined the EU Beach Cleanup campaign, proving once again that collective action can create lasting change. From riverbanks and park forests to lakes and coastlines, young volunteers came together with local partners to clean, connect, and raise awareness about the urgent need to protect our natural treasures.

In Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, YEAs Emina Odobašić and Naida Odobašić teamed up with ISS – Interventna Spasilačka Služba Zenica (Zenica Emergency Rescue Service) to clear the Bosna River beach. What began as a simple call for volunteers ended with a visibly cleaner public space and a reminder that shared areas improve fastest when communities step in together.

At Badovc Lake in Kosovo, YEAs Edlira Dibrani, Artiola Limani, and Ilir Kiçmari gathered 25 participants students from the Finnish School of Kosovo alongside YEAs for a hands-on cleanup and sorting session. The group collected litter, separated recyclables, and discussed why small, consistent actions around waste matter for the health of local waters.

In Rožaje, Montenegro, the campaign moved beyond the coast to the Crnja River and Brezovačko Brdo Park Forest. Coordinated by YEA Emina Balota with Zero Waste Montenegro and local partners NVO Avlija, NGO Runolist, and NGO GIM, volunteers focused on both impact and insight: 11 volunteers collected around 15 large bags of waste, separating plastics and cans (blue bags) from general waste (black bags), and conducted a waste audit by type and brand. The data will inform future awareness efforts and local policy conversations, proof that cleanups can generate immediate results and useful evidence.

On the Adriatic in Durrës, Albania, YEA Marija Burgieva worked with the new cohort of the College of Europe to host a “cleanup party” that blended community action with practical education. Participants focused on plastics and recyclables, using the activity to spotlight marine litter as a solvable challenge when residents, students, and institutions work in sync.

In Struga, North Macedonia, YEA Zlatka Kuvendjieska, together with Europe House Struga and Eco-svest, paired shoreline cleaning with an Eco Heroes workshop for children. The message was direct and memorable: we protect natural places the same way we look after our homes, by noticing problems early and fixing them together.

The series closed in Belgrade, Serbia, where YEAs Uroš Šestović and Maša Čežek organized a cleanup at Ada Ciganlija. They were joined by Plamena Halacheva, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, along with her family – an encouraging signal that leadership and participation go hand in hand, and that families can model environmental responsibility in simple, visible ways.

Across these six locations, the YEAs and partners: schools, rescue services, NGOs, Europe Houses, and local communities, showed a practical formula: invite people in, make the work straightforward, measure results where possible, and leave the place better than you found it. The outcomes were immediate – a cleaner riverbank here, a tidier lakeshore there, and the longer-term effects are already underway through new habits, stronger partnerships, and data that can guide next steps.

The EU Beach Cleanup in the Western Balkans wasn’t about one large event. It was a series of focused, local efforts that added up. And that is the point: when many people do a manageable amount, together, the region moves forward – one bag, one shoreline, one shared space at a time.