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| November has been all about international negotiations, with our team juggling between methane mitigation at COP29 in Azerbaijan and the plastic treaty at INC-5 in South Korea. But that's not all – we've been busy on the EU front too, publishing new publications on textile waste, EU bio-waste generation, and more. Let's dive in! | |
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| New report and infographic shows how European cities are fighting back against fast fashion and textile waste | |
Welcome to Sufficiencity, the city where every garment is reused, every button is resewn, and every textile fibre is given new life. Walking through its streets, you will discover repair cafées where citizens can learn how to mend their clothes, sustainable fashion festivals, and even local businesses recycling discarded fibres back into new garments!
Sufficiencity might seem like a utopia at first glance – but more and more cities are actually stepping up to the challenge and implementing groundbreaking initatives to curb the wave of low-quality textile waste flooding the European used textiles market.
In our new report on local solutions for textile waste, you can learn all about the sufficiency strategies of local European frontrunners, like Geneva in Switzerland, who have not only worked on restricting outdoor advertisements for fashion brands, but also supported sustainable fashion initiatives like the Garderobes festival and a left-over fabric library.
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| Join us next week for our webinar ‘Rotake Reusable’ – how can Aarhus help cities transition to reuse systems? | |
Next Tuesday (3 December), the ReuSe Vanguard Project (RSVP), the Mission Zero Academy (MiZA), and Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) will be hosting our long-awaited webinar on the 'Rotake Reusable' project, a reuse success story from Denmark.
Joining us will be Rotake Reusable's manager Simon Rossau, who will share his valuable experience leading this pilot project, including practical insights on implementing reuse systems, engaging stakeholders, and developing the necessary infrastructure. | |
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| Calling for methane reductions at COP29 in Azerbaijan | |
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| X-odus: Zero Waste Europe leaves the social media platform formerly known as Twitter for good | |
As of this week, ZWE will no longer be posting on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. We have found that the platform no longer serves its purpose in our work, and we have therefore decided to stop all activity indefinitely.
If you have found our content and messages useful and informative in the past, we encourage you to follow us on our other channels, which counts LinkedIn, Bluesky, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, and YouTube! | |
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| Zero Waste Europe is officially a Belgian entity | |
We have finally become a Belgian entity! In 2013, ZWE was established as a Dutch entity. In parallel, as ZWE grew and its operations predominantly lay in Belgium, an operating foreign entity was established in Belgium to support its operations. In 2023, ZWE, together with its members and Board, decided to initiate the process of converting from the Netherlands to Belgium.
We're happy to announce that this process is now formally concluded alongside with our updated Belgian Articles of Association, which are available on the ZWE website. Our entity details are available on the Belgian Trade Register under our entity number 0597.908.295.
We thank our Board, members, funders, and all those who have actively participated in this process.
Should you have any questions on this topic feel free to reach out to our Head of Operations Alice Marquet.
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| Retorna: Grassroot organisations push Spain to adopt DRS scheme over the next two years | |
Spain has taken a decisive step towards circularity by announcing the adoption of a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for cans, plastic bottles, and cartons within two years, following the failure to meet the 70% separate collection target set under the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive.
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GAIA: GAYO wins 2024 Earthshot Prize | | Earlier this month, our GAIA colleagues Green Africa Youth Organisation (GAYO) made waves across the globe by winning the 2024 Earthshot Prize in the Clean Our Air category for their Zero Waste Accra project; a community-led project, that prevents waste from ending up in landfills by removing organics, plastics and electronics that would otherwise pollute the environment. We couldn't be happier for the GAYO team and prouder of the incredible work they do every day on climate and environmental education, sustainable waste management practices, and community-led initiatives! | | FoE Malta: Climate Emotions Support Groups | | In Malta, our associate member Friends of the Earth Malta (FoE Malta) is helping young people deal with their worries and anxiety about the climate crisis through their Climate Emotions Support Groups. With 59% of youths expressing that they are "very worried" about the state of the planet, climate worry is a real thing – but it can also be a catalysat for change. As part of the Calm-ey project, FoE Malta organises regular meetings for young people to share their frustrations, learn useful self-help techniques to work through these emotions, and transform them into impact in their local community.
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| Strengthening movements, transforming communities: Zero Waste Alliances meet in Limassol, Cyprus | |
In early November, five Zero Waste Alliances gathered in Limassol, Cyprus, to strengthen their movement under the Blueprint for Movement Building project (supported by the UMI fund).
Representatives from the alliances in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany, Spain, and Ukraine shared experiences, explored strategies, and drafted a Blueprint to guide activists in building impactful movements.
Participants also visited local zero waste initiatives, including reuse shops, refill stores, and Cyprus University’s sustainability programmes. Engaging with Limassol's government, they also discussed waste management and climate neutrality strategies. | |
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| Extended Producer Responsibility compatible with planetary boundaries | | | Open letter: Textile Emergency Action Plan needed quickly | | | |
| Recyclables from the mixed waste – unlocking potential for maximisation of recycling through separation of MW fractions | | | Bio-waste generation in the EU: Current capture levels and future potential – Second edition | | | |
| For an ambitious EU mandate embracing a holistic vision on circular economy – joint open letter to MEPs | | | Fifty years: chemical recycling's fading promise | | | |
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| The role of local authorities in the fight against single-use plastics | | | #MeetTheTeam – Alice Marquet | | | |
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| Want to collaborate with us?
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Do you want to collaborate with Zero Waste Europe and its extended network, and contribute to a truly circular economy? Check out our current opportunities for collaboration: - Textiles Officer – ZWE is looking for a Textiles Officer to harmonise our efforts on textiles at the local and national levels; the chosen candidate will also be responsible for our new project on circular textiles policies in the EU.
Deadline: 5 December 2024
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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 © 2024 Zero Waste Europe, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this e-newsletter because you opted in via our website, our social media networks, or expressed interest to a member of our team. | |
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