Above the noise: tomorrow’s whispers in today’s storm

The headlines of early 2025 roar with familiar urgency. War continues to devastate communities. Climate impacts intensify. Political divisions deepen across Europe and beyond.

In this cacophony of crises, it’s tempting to lose ourselves in the dominant narrative of decline and despair.

Yet, beneath this turmoil, a different story is unfolding – one that rarely makes front-page news.

Building strength in turbulent times

2024 taught us about the tenacity of hope. Despite unprecedented challenges, our zero waste ecosystem grew stronger and more interconnected. We witnessed an inspiring convergence of social and environmental initiatives, where waste reduction strategies created local opportunities, strengthened community bonds, and protected public health. These weren’t just environmental victories – they were blueprints for more resilient, equitable societies. 

What gave me hope? The growing alignment between environmental protection, community wellbeing, and social justice. The progressive softening of silos that long separated our movements. The surge of local initiatives proving that systemic change isn’t just possible – it’s paying off, for the greater good. Communities worldwide demonstrating that another way of using resources is not only necessary, but desirable and within reach.

Charting our course: 2025 and beyond

For us at ZWE, 2025 emerges with its own quiet momentum. With a new European Commission in place, we will strengthen our advocacy efforts on waste prevention policies and influence how Europe uses resources, pushing for policies and regulatory frameworks that move us up the waste hierarchy. In 2025, we’ll also expand our textiles prevention and circularity portfolio while deepening our impact with cities and businesses on food waste prevention, methane mitigation, and reuse systems, together with our spin-off, the Mission Zero Academy. We will also enter the implementation phase for global initiatives, around the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations – stay tuned!

But 2025 will also be a year of looking further ahead. After months of collaborative visioning with our network and wider ecosystem, we’re adopting our new strategic framework that charts our course through 2030. This long-term vision will see us amplifying our work with zero waste pioneers, strengthening our environmental justice work, whilst deepening our commitment to a healthy circular economy that respects planetary boundaries and community rights. We’re excited to formally adopt it as part of our annual Network-Wide Gathering that will take place in Montenegro in May.

Celebrating global momentum

This year also marks the 25th anniversary of our global alliance, GAIA (Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives). For a quarter century, our alliance has united activists and change-makers who joined forces to catalyse a global shift away from our current linear and extractive economy and towards a circular system that supports people’s right to a safe and healthy environment. Our grassroots victories – from supporting a just transition for waste pickers to pioneering zero waste cities – show the power of organised communities working in concert across borders.

Back in Europe, keep your eyes on two upcoming milestones: our Zero Waste Festival co-organised together with Rezero in Barcelona this March as part of the International Zero Waste Day. It will bring together pioneers and innovators to celebrate zero waste models and explore the next frontiers to create a zero waste society. Later in April, make sure to read through the 5th edition of our landmark “State of Zero Waste Municipalities” report, documenting and acknowledging the growing momentum of local solutions and providing an outlook on the state of zero waste across the globe.

As Arundhati Roy reminds us: “Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.” In 2025, amid the noise of crisis, let’s attune ourselves to these breaths of change. They whisper of a future worth fighting for – one being built by countless hands in communities, progressive businesses and decision-makers across the globe.

While headlines may still echo decline, another story is being written. It speaks of resilience, regeneration, and radical hope. And in 2025, despite the severity of our global challenges – or perhaps because of them – this story needs to be told more than ever.