| | | | | | | For us, May is all about our annual members meeting, which took place two weeks ago in the beautiful mountains of Slovenia. Our team is both exhausted and filled to the brim with hope after four days of catching-up with old friends, sharing experiences, and planning new and exciting projects together. This newsletter brings you all the details from the gathering, as well as our latest publications on the dangers of using 'recycled' incinerator bottom ash, the economic benefits of community composting, and reducing waste at sporting events. | | | | | | | | | | | Network-Wide Gathering 2026: Sharing hope, vision, and joy in Bohinjska Bistrica, Slovenia | |
For one week every spring, activitists, and zero wasters from across Europe (and beyond) pack up their travel bags to meet up, share, and reenergise at Zero Waste Europe's (ZWE) annual Network-Wide Gathering (NWG). This year was no different; albeit the surroundings were particularly beautiful and inspiring, as this year's gathering took place in Slovenia, Europe's most zero waste-certified country.
Hosted by our member Ekologi brez meja (EBM) in the alpine town of Bohinjska Bistrica, our annual members gathering brought together 60 people and covered everything from: The four days went by in a flash, but the laughter-inducing energisers, breathtaking views, and shared hope will stay with us until next spring. Thank you to everyone who took part and made it our favourite moment of 2026. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Building momentum at the REuse Economy Expo in Paris | | Two days of reuse and refill buzz flew by in the blink of an eye, when ZWE and Mission Zero Academy (MiZA) visited Paris at the end of May for the 8th edition of the REuse Economy Expo.
From 19 to 20 May, the trade fair gathered more than 4,000 attendees – proving that even though reuse is still competing in an economy designed for single-use, its popularity is growing thanks to communities, municipalities, and progressive businesses who don’t want to wait for the perfect moment to improve our present and future.
Through panel discussions and at the MiZA stand, we highlighted the need for our political representatives to solidify reuse in everyday life, a point made even more timely by the upcoming Circular Economy Act (CEA). There was also time for a ReuSe Vanguard Project (RSVP) workshop with project partners and stakeholders, where we looked at how to keep contributing to the future of reuse systems in Europe.
Ahead of the CEA, the ZWE network is calling for:
- Common EU rules for reuse.
- Financing for reuse infrastructure.
- Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) that enables circular economy instead of just managing waste.
Learn more about how ZWE proposes to transform EPR into an enabler of the circular economy here. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Expanding the network: a warm welcome to Marche a Rifiuti Zero, Italy and Zero Waste Lab, Portugal | | The Network-Wide Gathering was a happy occasion for multiple reasons – one of them being that we could finally welcome two new associate members into the ZWE family: Marche a Rifiuti Zero and Zero Waste Lab! At the same time, we also got to congratulate Circular Economy Portugal on becoming a full member of the network.
Marche a Rifiuti Zero is a volunteer-led Italian non-profit promoting zero waste through prevention, reuse and community-driven action. Since 2018, they have engaged over 400 local activities across the Marche region in concrete waste prevention commitments.
Zero Waste Lab is a Portuguese non-profit working at the intersection of sustainability, circular economy and societal transformation. Their mission: translating zero waste principles into practical, scalable solutions for public authorities, businesses and communities.
| | | | EBM: Is the Gorenjska region in Slovenia truly zero waste? | | While the NWG gave many of us a first-hand taste of what zero waste looks like in practice, the story doesn't end there. The Gorenjska region, which provided the stunning backdrop to the gathering, turns out to be something of a quiet champion of the movement: home to 10 of Slovenia's 19 zero waste municipalities, it is a living proof that local commitment adds up. From Bled and Gorje, among the first municipalities in Europe to receive the Zero Waste Cities Certification, to Jezersko, which achieves a 97% separate waste collection rate thanks to a simple community drop-off system – the region is full of stories worth telling. Tourism pressure, textile waste, reuse culture at public events; Gorenjska's municipalities are tackling it all, one bin at a time.
| | ZWNW: Marching for the rights of Lough Neagh | | Zero waste is inseparable from the fight for clean water and healthy ecosystems – and our member Zero Waste North West (ZWNW) knows this well. This May, they helped mobilise communities around Lough Neagh, the largest freshwater lake in the British Isles, which has been facing a slow-motion environmental crisis driven by decades of political neglect: untreated sewage, sand dredging, and policy that has consistently put private profit before nature. On 17 May, thousands of people, including families, swimmers and fishermen, marched along the lakeshore calling for the rights of Lough Neagh to be recognised and protected, forty years after communities stood in the same spot to fight against lignite mining. | | | | | | | | | | | | | A cost-benefit analysis study on community composting in Bordeaux Metropole, France | | | A toxic legacy: Bottom ash in Europe’s circular economy | | | | | Joint statement calling for a precautionary approach to incineration residues | | | Game changer: how a handball tournament cut waste in half? | | | | | | | | | | | On the road to Slovenia: Portugal launches its DRS system ahead of the new EU packaging rules | | | On the road to Slovenia: Inside Zero Waste Austria's work | | | | | On the road to Slovenia: Meet Zero Waste Belgium – making reuse a reality | | | Episode 3: Cooling the planet, one banana peel at a time | | | | | | | | Zero Waste Europe gratefully acknowledges financial assistance from the European Union: Commission Directorate General (DG) Environment. The sole responsibility for the content of this newsletter lies with Zero Waste Europe. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the funder mentioned above. The funder cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. | | | | Copyright © 2026 Zero Waste Europe, all rights reserved.
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