The 2025 World Environment Day 🌍 , held under the theme “Our Land. Our Future. We are #GenerationRestoration”, focused on one of the most pressing global environmental challenges – plastic pollution. The campaign called on individuals, communities, industries, and governments to take urgent and collective action to reduce plastic waste, curb pollution at its source, and move toward sustainable production and consumption patterns.
This year’s event emphasized the harmful impact of plastic – especially microplastics, which have been detected everywhere from the deep oceans to human bloodstreams – and the importance of innovation and circular solutions to reverse this trend. Participants were encouraged to rethink their relationship with plastic, invest in eco-friendly alternatives, and support policies that foster a more circular economy.
In line with this global message, the University of Zagreb and partner institutions organized a regional World Environment Day event on June 5, 2025, at Šetalište Ivana Pavla II. in Varaždin, where citizens, researchers, and innovators gathered to showcase solutions for a cleaner and healthier future. 🌿
At this event, the CIRCLEAIR project presented its innovative solution RUCONBAiR – a circular system designed to reduce noise pollution and improve air quality. By combining RUCONBAR noise barriers with APA (Air Pollution Abatement) technology, RUCONBAiR minimizes environmental impact and enables over 90% material reuse at the end of its lifecycle.♻️
This sustainable approach aligns strongly with the 2025 campaign goals, offering a practical example of how circular design and eco-innovation can help address environmental pollution and reduce our dependence on single-use materials.
We were proud to contribute to this important initiative and to engage with the local community and fellow innovators in promoting #GenerationRestoration.
