She is the driving force behind the participation of several companies in the “Leaf by Leaf” campaign. Now, she is organizing waste paper recycling at “VIP Insurance.”
Elitsa Koleva is an economist and a specialist in Maritime Transport, yet she is convinced that one day she will dedicate herself entirely to public causes. They are “closer to my heart,” as she puts it. She is an activist in various civil society organizations focused on the upbringing and spiritual values of the youth, as well as the return of Bulgarians from abroad. She describes herself as an active person who does not easily reconcile with injustice. You will find her on the front lines wherever there is action “against nature, the people, and her home country.”
She first encountered the Public Center for Environment and Sustainable Development and the “Leaf by Leaf” campaign during a reforestation action she was invited to by friends.
What drives her to get involved? “My personal motivation is a greener environment, cleaner nature, and… actually, that’s the most important thing. To succeed in protecting nature, to care for it, and to bring greenery where it is needed most.”
The saying “You are the company you keep” applies perfectly to Elitsa. She says her social circle consists of like-minded people—all of them advocates for clean nature. They don’t just use the colored recycling bins; some have equipped their homes with specialized containers for different types of packaging. Others save trees by collecting paper and bringing it to “Leaf by Leaf,” while others focus on reforestation. Regarding her office colleagues, she says they now separate paper from other waste almost subconsciously.
Elitsa Koleva has organized the participation in the “Leaf by Leaf” campaign for at least three companies where she has worked. She notes with sadness that the amount of paper we use is not decreasing—on the contrary. She and her colleagues strive to digitize parts of their operations: “Firstly, to save paper, and secondly, to avoid being buried in paperwork—but it is harder in this field.” “Unfortunately, the amount of paper we generate is still very large. Too large, to be honest…”
