Macedonia will hold the sixth edition of “Generalka Weekend” from May 8 to 10, bringing together tens of thousands of volunteers in what is described as the largest environmental action in the country and the wider Balkans. This year’s campaign will take place simultaneously over three days at more than 500 locations across 80 municipalities, involving over 600 organizations, public institutions, private companies and more than 250 state institutions.
The initiative is presented as the biggest logistical operation so far for waste collection and raising environmental awareness among citizens. Organizers say “Generalka Weekend” has grown into a national annual tradition, proving that care for the country can unite people from different social, cultural and public backgrounds. The campaign’s main goal is to collect waste, encourage shared responsibility for the environment and strengthen public awareness about proper waste management.
The official opening of “Generalka Weekend 2026” will take place on May 8 at 9:00 in Skopje, with a cleanup action along the quay of the Vardar River. The event will be led by the City of Skopje and organized into eight teams positioned on both the northern and southern sides of the river, along the stretch from Lepenec to the “Kiro Gligorov” bridge. In cooperation with “Komunalna Higiena” and “Parks and Greenery,” hundreds of volunteers from private companies, institutions and schools will take part in cleaning one of the largest green and recreational zones in the capital.
Across the country, the cleanup actions will be organized and coordinated by municipalities in cooperation with the Red Cross. Among the special activities announced are cleanups of illegal dumpsites in Shar Mountain National Park, led by 20 members of the Macedonian Armed Forces, national park rangers, an expert team from the Austrian waste management company Saubermacher and the local population.
A separate environmental action will also be carried out in Ohrid, near the Congress Center, focused on protecting the lakeshore. This activity will be organized in cooperation with students and professors from the University “Ss. Cyril and Methodius,” the Municipality of Ohrid, the clubs “Soroptimist Moma Ohrid” and “Soroptimist Vaduz,” as part of Soroptimist International, with support from Saubermacher.
In addition to field cleanup activities, the educational program “Eco Class” is being implemented in schools across the country through cooperation between the Ministry of Education and Science and UNICEF, in partnership with “Generalka Weekend.” The program adds an educational dimension to the campaign by connecting environmental action with awareness among young people.
The action is a volunteer initiative, and participants are responsible for their own safety. Organizers emphasize that the campaign’s success is the result of long-term cooperation between “Generalka Weekend” and its official partners, including Pivara Skopje, Pakomak, Nula Otpad, Makstil, EVN, IUTE, Saubermacher, KAZ Group and Sparkasse Bank. The initiative is also supported by ZELS, the Red Cross, several ministries, UNICEF, the University “Ss. Cyril and Methodius,” the Macedonian Armed Forces, hundreds of NGOs and municipalities.
The central message of the campaign remains focused on recycling the waste of the past for a greener future. Its slogan stays unchanged: “Let’s get dirty and clean up.”
