July 30, 2021 - Just a month before it takes place, the ZeGeVege festival was presented today in Zagreb.

The festival will be held in Zagreb on September 3rd and 4th, at Ban Jelačić Square. The event will be focused on a sustainable lifestyle, which is why the visitors will get edible spoons and straws, as well as biodegradable packaging. The Animal Friends Croatia association, one of the organisers of the festival also announced a wide selection of healthy and ecological plant-based food, cosmetics that were not tested on the animals, educational materials, and clothes made out of natural materials. The visitors will be able to test such products, which don't affect nature and our environment negatively. 

We make choices every day, and those choices greatly impact the lives of many other beings around us. The sustainable lifestyle celebrated at the ZeGeVege festival is based on living in accord with nature and compassion shown towards others, as well as our planet. The vegan diet can help stop global warming, improve our health, save water and the forests around us and save numerous lives. 

The ZeGeVege festival was first held in Zagreb in 2008, and back then the visitors signed the petition to ban single-use plastic bags. This year, those bags were finally banned by the Croatian legislature. This year's visitors will also have a chance to try out some of the multiple-use items, as well as some cosmetics sold without packaging. 

The bio&bio chain of stores, selling eco-friendly products, has been the festival's partner for many years. This year, they decided to present their sustainable packaging at the festival. Sustainable packaging contributes to the reduction of plastic waste, so the organizers are hoping other companies might follow suit and reduce plastics in their packaging. Jadranka Boban Pejić, who manages the bio&bio brand, explained that their packaging of cereal, legumes, nuts, dried fruit, and seeds will be 100% biodegradable, made out of plant-based materials. 

To read more about vegetarian and vegan food options in Croatia, read Total Croatia's guide to vegan and vegetarian Croatia. 

Veganšpek is a new bistro that both vegans and meat lovers can look forward to.