UNWASTED Forum 2025 – A Reference for Sustainable Solutions

The Unwasted Forum, held in Opatija, Croatia from 16-18 May, 2025, highlighted the role of fashion in creating a sustainable future — by advocating for the recovery, reuse and regeneration. The event saw three intense days of roundtables, hands-on workshops, demonstrations, and even fashion shows, focused not on problems, but on concrete solutions from around the world.

This ﬁrst edition brought together policymakers and entrepreneurs fostering international cooperation for environmental protection, circular economy, and innovation. At a time when grim headlines about climate change, pollution, and the energy crisis dominate the news, the small city of Opatija, nestled along the beautiful Adriatic coast, offered something completely different— hope, inspiration, and tangible answers. of materials across all sectors.

The UNWASTED Forum 2025, organized under the auspices of the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security and the World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS), gathered change- makers from science, fashion, energy, diplomacy, and entrepreneurship. Instead of analyzing problems, the focus was on solutions—those already existing and those currently under development.

Mayor Fernando Kirigin officially opened the UNWASTED Forum 2025. The event was organized by two visionaries—fashion designer Kristina Burja and Dina Dragija, president of the Youth Leadership Network—who have demonstrated that through the universally understood language of fashion and diplomacy, the world can be changed. “Our forum focuses on sustainable solutions and innovations across various sectors. We believe that even seemingly unrelated worlds can ﬁnd a common language,” said the organizers.
UNWASTED co-founder, Donato Kiniger Passigli, Vice President of WAAS, emphasized in his speech that creative approaches to material reuse are urgently needed, along with universal commitment, perseverance, and community education: “Through our initiative,” he said, “we aim to inspire a cultural shift towards sustainability for a cleaner and healthier future.”

A strong endorsement of the UNWASTED vision come from Mehrnaz Mostafavi, Chief of the United Nations Human Security Unit and of the UN Trust Fund for Human Security. In her statement, the high-level UN representative remarked, “In an era of unprecedented technological advancement, we have at our ﬁngertips the tools and ingenuity to reimagine how we produce, consume, and coexist with our environment,” and added, “Circularity illustrates the interconnected dimensions of human security—related to food, health, and well-being.”

One of the most captivating speakers at the forum was Charles Oppenheimer, nuclear energy expert and grandson of Robert Oppenheimer (one of the founders of WAAS 65 years ago), who stated that the organizers had achieved the impossible—bringing together fashion, nuclear energy, and scientists in a common mission: creating a better tomorrow. At the roundtable on nuclear energy, in addition to Oppenheimer, speakers included Duško Čorak (INETEC), Vladimir Jelavić (Ekonerg), Ivica Bašić (co-founder and director of APOSS Ltd.), and Leon Cizelj (Jožef Stefan Institute), each presenting the real advantages and emphasizing the need for increased public understanding of this technology.

Among other speakers, the intervention of Carlos Alavarez-Pereira, Secretary-General of the Club of Rome, focused on the ethical dimension of environmental policies and the need to overcome fragmentation through pragmatic approaches. His insights were very well received by the attentive audience.

Also speaking at the forum was Dr. Staša Puškarić (CTO, Marinex Project), a Croatian scientist who developed the revolutionary “White Snow” method—using natural microorganisms in oceans to regenerate the atmosphere. This biotechnological innovation has the potential to signiﬁcantly reduce CO₂ and restore earth’s climate balance, which is crucial for our survival. Nikola Petrović Njegoš of Montenegro, through his foundation, presented the EKOMED project—an innovative transportation method using compressed air technology for traditional engines. Meanwhile, Dubravka Štefanac Vinovrski, Director of Corporate Communications and ESG at A1 Croatia, emphasized their company’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2030, investing in renewable energy sources, and implementing green initiatives that reduce their carbon footprint, including through a circular economy for electronic devices.

The forum was also attended by Croatia’s former President, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, who personally supported the topic of the circular economy: “We must act locally and globally to protect the environment and make the world cleaner and more beautiful. Today, I’m wearing shoes made from recycled bottles – I buy them more and more because they’re comfortable and practical,” she explained, emphasizing the importance of leadership in building a better world.

A special contribution and sponsorship for the UNWASTED Forum came from Member of the European Parliament Nikolina Brnjac, who, from the very beginning, supported the organizers Kristina Burja and Dina Dragija, recognizing the great potential in merging diverse sectors. She spoke at the forum about sustainable tourism as an imperative for the future: “Sustainability is, unfortunately, increasingly pushed out of the spotlight of global priorities. In times of uncertainty and crisis, it’s important to remember that the Sustainable Development Goals are key to a more stable and fair future. The European Union must remain true to its values, and the European Parliament has the responsibility and power to implement them through legislative frameworks and concrete policies. Europe must be a beacon of sustainability— not only for itself but also for those who lack our ﬁnancial and institutional strength. We must act now because future generations are counting on us.”

For over a decade, Kristina Burja has been using fashion as a universal language to tell important stories about sustainability. Her work has resulted in numerous collaborations— from the international Green Fashion Week and partnerships with Hyundai on their global sustainability projects, to her project Krie x Provir with ﬁsherman Božidar Blaslov (supported by the Adriatic Croatian International Club—ACI), which has removed 75 tons of discarded ﬁshing nets from the sea and repurposed them. All of this was showcased at a panel aboard a ﬁshing boat (sponsored by Krie and Provir), symbolizing the Adriatic Sea Cleanup Initiative supported by WWF, and through an exhibition of fashion statues and the Green Fashion Week runway, demonstrating how marine and textile waste can be regenerated and recycled for reuse in the fashion industry. Designers presenting their work included Kristina Burja—Krie Design, Victoria Ladefoged from Denmark, and Jeff Garner from the USA.

A demonstration of ecological cosmetics and circular textile production from alcohol by- products attracted much interest. Demonstrating innovation, the forum concluded with the presentation of Croatia’s own Nevera car from Rimac Automobiles, showing that products of the future indeed have a local origin.

The event was attended by Vedran Špehar, State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Croatia, and Jure Leben, State Secretary for Environment, Space, Climate, and Dialogue with NGOs in the Office of the Prime Minister of Slovenia. Other interventions included those by Aleksander Zidansek (WAAS and Club of Rome), Mayada Adil, UN SDG Advisor; Pietro Sebastian (IDLO); Cristina Finucci (Garbage Patch State initiative); and Ugo Bardi (WAAS and the Club of Rome). The Italian Embassy in Croatia, among the sponsors, was represented by Consul General Iva Palmieri. Moreover, the Italian-Croatian Chamber of Commerce, led by Andrea Perkov, was present throughout and held an award ceremony to emphasize the importance of innovation and creativity for sustainability.

While scientiﬁc presentations, fashion performances, and inspiring messages ﬂowed from the stage, what made the UNWASTED Forum 2025 truly special was its synergy, warmth, optimism, and focus on real solutions. Because the world doesn’t need another list of problems—it needs places like this where the language of hope is spoken.

The main partners of the UNWASTED Forum 2025 were: