Step 3: What membership in Zero Waste Europe means
Please take time to carefully explore what the application process looks like,and what would be your benefits and obligations as a member of Zero Waste Europe.
Zero Waste Europe Membership Process
Zero Waste Europe movement gathers 35 organisations representing 28 countries across
Europe. The staff team and current members are committed to nurture and develop a vibrant
network, sharing common values and objectives.
The membership process is designed to help all stakeholders (members, staff team and applicants) to get to know each other and have a better understanding of our mutual needs and expectations. We aim at exploring potential synergies as soon as possible in this process.
It is also designed to share our movement culture: a common willingness to contribute in a
transparent and open manner, to achieve a Zero Waste Europe.
The membership process is comprised of three phases:
1) Official application and pre-validation
First of all, if you comply with the already mentioned eligibility criteria, we invite you to fill in a pre-application available on our website.
A discussion will follow with the Membership Coordination Officer to further explore your expectations and needs, and you might be asked to submit an official, more extensive application form.
After an interview with the Membership Coordination Officer and ZWE management, ZWE Board will pre-approve or decline applications on a monthly basis.
A pre-approved applicant becomes an “associate member” of ZWE.
2) Onboarding and validation
From this stage on, you will be included in our mailing list and online discussion and decision platform. You can also be assigned a fellow among our members to help you navigate in the ZWE movement. For a minimum of 3-months period, you are invited to get in touch with other members, and start connections. At the end of this period, you are asked to submit a proposal to become a full member together with names of three endorsing members from the network.
3) Full membership
If pre-approved by ZWE Board, endorsed by 3 members and with the consent of other members, your organisation becomes a full member of ZWE network!
The fellowship can continue for an extra year depending on the typology of new members and their needs. To officialise your membership, your organisation will be kindly asked to sign ZWE Membership Agreement, extract of which you can see below.
During the whole process, your main contact will be the Membership Coordination Officer.
Commitments of ZWE Members
Members of Zero Waste Europe agree to take part in the development of zero waste principles in their country/region/area, and in the development of the ZWE network.
How ZWE supports its network
Zero Waste Europe team is committed to run the organisation and fulfill the role of network coordinator. This involves delivering on our work programme commitments, ensuring the highest policy impact possible, building and expanding the zero waste community and vision, and ensuring that our network is a space for growth, inspiration and innovation. All members are benefiting from being part of this network. In addition to this, ZWE team and network agree on supporting new members to achieve their ZW mission as explained below:
Membership fees
The annual membership fee for every member organisation is between 75 EUR and 1,000 EUR per year. ZWE understands that some ZW groups are bigger than others and sometimes this bears no relationship with the financial capacity of the organisation. For this reason, ZWE collects membership fees on a sliding scale of minimum 75 EUR and up to 1,000 EUR, leaving it open for the member organisations to decide the exact amount that they want to and can contribute.