A cycle and walking path has already been planned around the future Acrobat City. Outside this path, we are landscaping the areas so that by the end of construction, the trees will be flourishing, the shrubs established, and the flowers naturalised.

Photo: Nejc Rajtmajer, with a cycle and walking path marked in red

From the very beginning, we have had an important guiding principle: the Acrobat City will not only be a space of high technology and opportunities for Slovenian innovation, but also a pleasant environment for living and for everyday life in general. Therefore, we are paying a lot of attention to green spaces, which will be accessible to everyone. To the frequent question from contractors »should we add a fence and close it off«, Jure's answer is always decisive: »No. Akrobatov Trg bo odprt za vse.«

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Then the challenges come.

Let's clear the overgrown areas, tidy the surfaces, prepare for a park, and sow grass. But it doesn't grow. We sow again, this time more. Nothing. We organise a work party and clear the stones, sow again. Nothing. Several months have passed and even the few blades of grass that peeked out of the ground were scorched by the summer. The green areas looked more like a stony desert than a park.

Our impatience, or rather our strong desire to get this sorted as soon as possible, really didn't choose the best moment for such a task. Today, we can laugh: »We started sowing the grass at just the right Acrobatic– in the worst heat.«

And those who persevere will be rewarded for their efforts!

First, we laid on the water for irrigation. Then came the crucial element: compost from CEROZ. 

Here a story worth writing down arose for the local patriots.

Enes Rakovič, director of CEROZ, and Uroš Zalokar, who is in charge of the green spaces of Acrobat City

CEROZ aims for the most efficient waste management possible. The waste collected from Litija, Zagorje, Trbovlje, Hrastnik, and Radeče is processed, and a certain proportion is sold as secondary raw materials.

This is where we get to the compost. Organic waste from households in our region was collected at CEROZ, where it was processed into compost over 12 weeks through a precise process of monitoring temperature and humidity, as well as constant turning. This compost has enriched the soil in the area of the City of Acrobats so that grass and other greenery can grow, where we can all freely walk and enjoy the beautiful nature.

Enes Rakovič, The director of CEROZ visited us and said: »From a circular economy perspective, I think it's great that the compost is used right here. It comes from Zasavje, we process it, it stays in Zasavje and contributes to something that will benefit the entire region.« Enes does warn us that the grass will grow so much that we'll have trouble with mowing it too often. No problem, Uroš is already training two little robots. Sometimes they still bicker a bit, occasionally they get along, but they'll soon become accustomed to it.

Enes adds: »I grew up at a time when the economy in Zasavje was booming, and the Sava River was black. I know what the wealth of jobs means, as well as what the collapse of most companies means when there are no jobs. I also know the difference between looking at the black Sava or now, when you look at it almost like the Soča. That's why I appreciate the economy and jobs that the City of Acrobats will make possible, as well as a clean Sava and beautiful nature in general for a pleasant living. That's why we like this story, because with the circular economy, each of us in the region contributes to us having pleasant areas for walks, sports, and relaxation.«

More about CEROZ

CEROZ is the Zasavje Waste Management Centre, established in 2005. Thirty-eight employees ensure that our waste is processed and reused. It is a public utility company that does not operate for profit. (For now, they are still resolving debts from an unpleasant past, but that will soon be sorted out too.) They receive 3,500 tonnes of biowaste annually, from which they produce approximately 1,500 tonnes of first-quality compost. Anyone can come and collect it.

One of the interesting initiatives to promote the circular economy is cooperation with schools and kindergartens, where children create products from various waste materials. These products are proudly displayed at the company's headquarters.

They are also working hard to raise people's awareness of how to separate waste correctly. »In all this circular waste management, it really helps if we are careful not to throw plastic bags into the organic waste bins. These are really extremely disruptive, as they are difficult to process,« they say. It's true – when we covered the surfaces with compost, we still found fragments of plastic bags in it.

We share a feeling for nature, a feeling for beauty, and a desire to create a pleasant environment for everyone.