This joint statement on the Just Transition Fund (JTF) is a crucial to furthering EU financial instruments aimed at ensuring that no region or community is left behind as the EU transitions towards climate neutrality. With a focus on the socio-economic impacts of this transformation, particularly in coal-reliant regions, the JTF has proven essential in fostering long-term economic diversification and decarbonisation. As the EU prepares its Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028-2034, it is vital that decision-makers extend the JTF to maintain momentum in these regions. The continuation of this dedicated fund will enable vulnerable areas to build on their progress, helping to ensure that the green transition is both just and inclusive.
Available in English.
The Sicilian municipality of Calatafimi Segesta may be small, but it provides one of Europe’s leading examples of how an island municipality can implement an effective zero waste strategy whilst also focusing on improving the lives of the local community. Despite receiving high-levels of tourism each year and having a dense, historic area in its centre, Calatafimi Segesta still achieved a 85% separate collection rate and generated just 88kgs of residual waste per person in 2022.
The municipality achieved these impressive results through a process of implementing a zero waste strategy at its core, with a focus on door-to-door collection of materials and the prioritisation of capturing organics, with supplementary incentives offered to residents who home composted. The decision not to build or extend local incineration capacity has allowed the municipality to implement ambitious policies that have delivered results.
Since its political commitment to become a Zero Waste City in 2011, the municipality has doubled the amount of materials separately collected for recycling and reuse. In this same timespan, they have reduced the volume of residual waste by two-thirds.
Available in English, Italian, and Croatian.
In the wine industry, single-use glass is heavily used for packaging. On the one hand, glass has the greatest environmental impacts compared to other packaging materials (i.e. PET, aluminium, and beverage carton). On the other hand, glass is 100% reusable and 100% recyclable at the end of its life cycle, and is an inert material, which makes it more suitable as a food contact material.
The reWINE project proves that a circular and more sustainable way of consuming wine is possible.
Let’s start the tasting tour!
Available in Catalan, English, French, Hungarian, Italian, Lithuanian, Portuguese, Slovenian, and Spanish.
In 2011, the city of Milan started implementing an ambitious scheme to separately collect bio-waste and recycle it. With 1.4 million inhabitants and an extremely densely populated area, this wasn’t an easy task as bio-waste collection schemes are more difficult to set up in big cities. However, after 10 years, Milan is now one of the leading examples, with 95 kilograms of bio-waste collected per inhabitant and a 62% waste collection rate.
With the 1 January 2024 deadline for all EU Member States to collect bio-waste separately, the story of Milan shows how other cities across Europe can follow in their footsteps to effectively collect and manage food waste, even in the challenging circumstances that large, densely-populated cities provide.
Zero Waste Europe releases its new Consumption & Production Case Study, which promotes zero waste business models: The Story of Too Good To Go, a fast growing company making the link between shops whose food is about to be wasted and consumers who love a good deal.
Available in English, French, Swedish, Italian, Portuguese and German.
The Story of Unverpackt is the sixth chapter of the Zero Waste Europe Consumption & Production Case Studies series aimed at promoting zero waste business models.
Since opening in February 2014, Germany’s first packaging-free store Unverpackt in Kiel, has been pursuing a drastic reduction of packaging waste while motivating customers to rethink their consumer behavior. More than 100 stores in Germany are already following this example, the zero waste retail movement has only just begun.
Available in English & German
Toxic emissions and polluted air: the Waste-To-Energy plant of Sant Adria de Besos in Barcelona works at a high cost for the environment and the local community. Hungry for more? Read our blog in English.
Available in Spanish
Thanks to decentralised composting the province of Pontevedra went from providing no options for bio-waste to a comprehensive and community-based system, establishing itself as a best practice example for bio-waste management in Spain and beyond.
Available in English & Spanish
Going from a 0 to 40% recycling rate within 3 months, the small county of Sălacea tells a remarkable zero waste success story, establishing itself as a best practice that can be replicated in rural communities across Romania.
Available in English and Montenegrin.
In 5 years, PHENIX saved 30.000 tonnes of food products and distributed 60 millions meals across France, proving that it is possible to prevent food waste and create new jobs while saving money.
Available in English.
How do zero waste and online shopping work together?
RePack is a closed-loop system that can reduce e-commerce packaging by 96% while providing the same consumer experience as the disposable one.
Discover more on our case study.
Available in English.
Imagine expanding the life of electronic devices while incorporating blockchain traceability technology capable of creating 1 job for every 300 items reused.
Now imagine ensuring a 95% recycling rate and transforming a cost for municipalities into revenue that stays in the community.
eReuse is a perfect example of how a symbiosis between the digital agenda and waste management can create value, sustainability, and jobs.
Available in: English.
In November 2016, Freiburg decided to stop the flood of disposable coffee cups. Less than two years later, Freiburg has proven how a mid-size city can push for alternatives to the throwaway society and define the political agenda.
Available in English and French.
After assessing that 750 000 kg of food were wasted every year, the city of Bruges lauched an ambitious Zero Food Waste strategy, becoming a European forerunner with 43% of food waste prevented in the healthcare sector.
Available in English and French.
Recircle has arrived to transform takeaway restaurants. After two years, more than 400 restaurants across Switzerland were using Recircle’s 70,000 reusable meal boxes.
A winning solution that prevents waste and saves money for restaurants and cities.
Available in English and French.
Who said Zero Waste cannot work in tourist destinations? In 2000, Sardinia was Italy’s worst performing region in waste management with a separate collection rate of 3.8%. Since then the situation radically changed, thanks to the decision of setting up a Regional Programme for organic waste within its Waste Management Plan in 2004.
The programme included four measures: Compulsory separate collection of organic waste, increase of the landfill tax, a bonus/malus system on the cost of residual waste management based on the municipalities performances and promotion of door-to-door collection and Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) systems, and home composting.
Today, Sardinia it is the best performing island in the Mediterranean and sits at the forefront of Italian and European regions with separate collection rate reaching 60%, waste generation per capita decreased consistently: moving from 520 kg to 443 kg and residual waste went from 500 kg to 176 kg per inhabitant.
Available in English, French, and Spanish.
Located in Eastern France, the city of Besançon has rolled out an extensive system of decentralized composting, covering 70% of its population and significantly reducing the waste sent for disposal.
Learn how they did it with our case study.
Available in English, Croatian, French, German, and Slovenian.
Lacking the power to implement waste collection and management practices, Roubaix had to find new ways to transition to zero waste. The town is addressing waste at source by creating a vibrant constellation of actors committed to reducing their waste, including families, schools, and businesses.
Available in English and Hungarian.