SLOVENIA'S 5 CORE VALUES

Slovenia, a veritable little paradise on Earth, is renowned for its unspoiled green areas and hidden natural beauties that caress our senses. 

Slovenians like to boast about our natural jewels, which is also right, as not everyone is given to live in such a beautiful country. We often only realise this after spending some time in a foreign country that does not have privileges of this kind. A clean, pristine environment is not to be taken for granted. It makes sense to nurture a sense of belonging to Slovenia and its natural assets in various ways, because ultimately we can always give something back to nature in return for the abundance of gifts it bestows upon us. 

A team of ten residents from the village of Kotlje, located at the foot of Mount Uršlja Gora, has come up with its own way of tackling this. For some time now, its members have been striving towards the same goal: they collect waste paper that would otherwise be lying around in cellars and elsewhere, after which the team of dedicated men gathers together and loads the paper into a container for removal. 

An initiative of this kind takes quite a while. Most recently, the paper was being collected for almost a whole year prior to being hauled away. Gentlemen Janez Herman and Boris Gorenšek collected an enviable amount of paper. When it comes to the collection, you see, they are not just observers who would log the amount of paper and say: »That's enough now. Let's start loading,« but rather they collect the paper from door to door. 

»Some older citizens cannot bring the collected paper themselves, so they go and fetch it by car. This is how it is collected site n/a site and we get ten tonnes of paper,« says Mr Jure Sojč, one of the participants.

Last November, as the year was almost complete, so much paper had accumulated in the warehouse that there was no longer any room for it, and removal was necessary. The men arranged a meeting one day and, with the regular team, they managed to load more than ten tonnes of waste paper into the container in a mere four hours. Mr Vinko Gostenčnik provided the finishing touch by organising the transport.  

After successfully completing the work, they told stories and soaked up the positive energy of the gathered company. Nor did they go hungry, as the Hudopisk family provided a delicious snack. Such efforts, which contribute to a cleaner environment, are not only a good gesture, but also strengthen a sense of belonging as people who strive for a common goal connect with one another.

The friendships that are forged as part of such projects are strong and reliable. In addition, they create a community of like-minded people and strengthen cooperation, which can be a positive example to others. Waste paper collection drives will also take place in the future, as team members say this is their small contribution to a cleaner environment. 

Mateja Sekavčnik, 8 August 2026