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| This October, we hosted our largest-ever global gathering in Brussels, uniting participants from five continents to co-design solutions to fight waste and climate change. Dive into the newsletter to see the highlights from that high-energy collaboration, the launch of our new Blueprint, and how we're taking the fight against methane to COP30.
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| From Chile to Ukraine: our biggest global gathering yet drives systemic change | |
Last week, the global zero waste movement came together in Brussels for our largest and most diverse event to date! Nearly 70 participants from 24 countries across five continents—from Portugal to the Philippines—converged for three days of high-energy collaboration, proving that our movement is a truly global force for change.
Made possible with the support of the UMI Fund, the gathering focused on two critical pillars of systemic transformation:
- Bridging continents on organics: We held a global gathering on organics, uniting city officials, zero waste practitioners, and funders. The goal was simple: co-design solutions and share global best practices to overcome common barriers in preventing and managing organic waste, which is a major source of methane emissions.
- Empowering civil society: Our second summit was all about movement building and civil society empowerment. During the event, we also launched our new Blueprint for Movement Building, which has been designed to strengthen collaboration and help movements around the world accelerate climate and social justice (check out the next section to learn more)!
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| A Blueprint for Movement Building – a living manual for building power and collaboration | |
Our Blueprint for Movement Building is finally here! This living manual is designed to empower collaboration across civil society, helping alliances and movements grow into powerful forces for climate and social justice.
Drawing on over 15 years of Zero Waste Europe's (ZWE) experience nurturing the zero waste movement across Europe, the Blueprint distills key insights and lessons from our national zero waste alliances through the Blueprint for Movement Building project. Inside, you’ll find inspiring stories, proven tools, and practical resources—all tested and refined by movements across Europe. | |
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| ZWE at #COP30: Tackling methane at the source with zero waste solutions | |
Methane (CH4), a potent greenhouse gas, is responsible for a third of global warming. This November, ZWE is heading to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil to champion rapid, upstream solutions to cut these emissions from the waste sector.
Our Zero Pollution Policy Manager, Janek Vähk, will present our research at two side events focused on zero waste solutions for tackling methane emissions from waste: | |
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| Upcoming DRS system in Spain: Global Experts Conference on 18 November 2025 | |
Any plans on 18 November? Well, you have one now: our hybrid conference on the implementation of the upcoming deposit and return system in Spain!
Together with Reloop and our Spanish member Retorna, we're organising a global experts conference at the end of November in Madrid. The event will be a space for dialogue and joint work between all the actors involved in achieving the best possible deposit system model for Spain.
Join the conference online or in person to explore how deposit systems can drive the circular economy, reduce litter and increase recycling rates. | |
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| European WEEE(k) for Waste Reduction 2025: Turn on the value, switch of the e-waste | |
Between 22 to 30 November, the European Union marks the 15th edition of the European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR), this year dedicated to the reuse, prevention, and recycling of e-waste or WEEE (Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment).
Switching off the stream of e-waste is essential to reducing our ecological footprint, as it represents the EU's fastest-growing waste stream (increasing by 2% annually). At the same time, WEEE contains hazardous materials and valuable resources, including critical raw materials. Proper collection, treatment, and recycling are therefore necessary to prevent environmental and health risks, improve resource efficiency, and support a European circular economy.
You can participate in this year's EWWR by: - Growing your knowledge and getting inspired to take action – EWWR and its partners have created a lot of great materials on e-waste, including these factsheets on WEEE within the EU Framework and tackling e-waste locally.
- Joining an EWWR action in your city – you can check out the database or map to see all activities registered in your region (the event list will get updated continously).
- Organising an EWWR event yourself – anyone can become an action developer, citizens, organisations, and institutions alike! If you have a great idea for an event, don't hesitate to register it on the EWWR website (deadline: 9 November).
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| Zelena Akcija: We want healthier reusable alternatives for Environmenstrual Week, please and thank you! | |
For this year's Environmenstrual Week (20-26 October), the streets of Zagreb, Croatia were treated to the sight of a human-sized bloody tampon with a sign reading: "We absorb menstruation, we kill bodies and the environment with plastic".
The action was part of Zelena Akcija's awareness-raising campaign for sustainable periods, and together with the tampon-clad activist, the organisers highlighted the risks related to disposable sanitary products, which includes plastic pollution and harmful chemicals. They simultaneously promoted safer, reusable options, emphasising their long-term health and cost-benefits.
This on-the-ground action is part of a bigger push for systemic change: Zelena Akcija is calling on governments to promote and subsidise these essential zero waste alternatives. | |
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FoE Malta: 'Justice for Our Land' protest for urgent reforms in Malta | | This week, our member Friends of the Earth Malta (FoE Malta) joined the Ġustizzja għal Artna (Justice for Our Land) protest, demanding reforms to save Malta from a 'destructive developers' coup'. The action was initiated by setting up "Kamp Ġustizzja għal Artna" (Justice for Our Land Camp) outside the Maltese Parliament. For four days, activists created a site of solidarity, demanding the immediate withdrawal of proposed planning laws that would dismantle environmental protections and place excessive power in the hands of developers. The campaign was amplified by a massive protest that week, where thousands of people stood together to demand the Government genuinely revise these laws. The Ġustizzja għal Artna campaign continues to fight for a planning process built around the wellbeing of the country and its people.
| | Humusz: Once upon a time there was a Worm Festival in Hungary | | If you think composting is dry, our member Humusz Szövetség in Hungary will surely change your mind! Earlier this month, they held the second edition of their Worm Festival (Giliszta Fesztivál) in Budapest. This family-friendly gathering was dedicated to making sustainable, compost-aware living accessible and fun for everyone. Attendees were fully immersed in the soil-level action: they enjoyed meat-free "worm goulash" made from rescued ingredients, learned about the tiny organisms that process fruit and veggies into compost, and got hands-on with activities like compost sifting and quizzes. The festival brought together composting enthusiasts to discuss urban solutions, successfully demonstrating that getting closer to the earth is a joyful, communal, and essential part of the zero waste movement. | | | |
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| Cap-and-trade on residuals: Proposals for a Circular Economy Act | | | Call for a moratorium on new waste incineration in the EU | | | |
| PFAS, Dioxins and PAH in Primary School Air Filters, Ivry-sur-Seine (suburb of Paris, France), 2024-2025 | | | Beyond waste management:
EPR to finance circularity | | | |
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| Rethinking resources: the next frontier for a zero waste future | | | Berlin’s successful gamble: making reuse as easy as bottle returns | | | |
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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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