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July brings major milestones, including the launch of our new Strategic Framework and two new members joining the network! As our team takes a well-deserved break, this will be our last newsletter until September—giving you time to explore the inspiring stories in this edition. Enjoy! | |
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| Zero Waste Europe launches new Strategic Framework | |
At the beginning of the July, Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) launched its new Strategic Framework for 2025-2030; a document that emerged from a thoughtful development and co-creation process while acknowledging the paradox of long-term planning in our rapidly changing and unpredictable world.
Our 2030 vision is clear: shifting from waste management to resource stewardship, we prioritise the interconnected wellbeing of humans, environment, and ecosystems, while empowering local communities to lead the way.
Our six Strategic Goals (SGs) will help us get there: - SG1 and SG2: Materials reduction and health/wellbeing are situated closer to the vision. They are more aspirational than other goals, and long-term by design.
- SG3 and SG4: Policies and implementation model shaping are further deepened and grounded in our current work, with a stronger focus on prevention.
- SG5: Our network and movement are at the core of our work.
- SG6: Our organisational development and narrative efforts act as a springboard to enable all of our work.
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| Elevating Reuse in Cities: European cities demand EPR reform to support packaging waste prevention and reuse | |
It's high time to reform Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging. Despite its promise, the EU’s current EPR system is falling short. Packaging waste has increased 27% over the last ten years and is forecasted to further increase to 92 million tonnes in 2030.
In our new manifesto, signed by twenty pioneering cities and progressive businesses from across Europe, we call on EU decisionmakers to overhaul the legislation for EPR.
To make EPR fit for purpose (and actually live up to its promise as a powerful tool for resource management) we urge three key reforms in the upcoming Circular Economy Act: - Full cost coverage to ease the burden on local governments.
- Environmental fees that make reuse competitive.
- Greater accountability and transparency embedded within the governance of Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs).
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| Expanding the network: welcoming e-Circular and Zero Waste Nederland into the Zero Waste Europe family | |
At the beginning of summer, we had the happy occasion of welcoming two new members into the ZWE network: e-Circular (Moldova) and Zero Waste Nederland!
E-Circular is a leading organisation in the Republic of Moldova dedicated to advancing the circular economy and zero waste principles through education, consultancy, and public policy engagement. Its mission is to transform how resources are used—shifting focus from waste generation to resource efficiency, reuse, and prevention.
Zero Waste Nederland's mission is to create a world in which waste does not exist. Not by focusing on doing more clean ups or more recycling, but by ensuring that it does not arise in the first place. Waste prevention is their central focus, and they approach it by encouraging consumers and businesses to embrace zero waste while providing effective tools and knowledge to national and local governments.
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| Zero Waste Italy: The story of how Capannori went zero waste, featured on Deutsche Welle | |
The small Tuscan town of Capannori is well-known within zero waste circles; first and foremost, because the philosophy and methods behind its success as a zero waste city laid the foundation of the movement that is still thriving in Europe today (ZWE's first-ever case study was actually written about Capannori)!
With 86.5% of its waste being recycled, Capannori is a pioneer in the field, which in large part is thanks to the efforts of Rossano Ercolini, who launched the Italian zero waste movement. This pioneering work has now gained fresh international attention through a Deutsche Welle documentary short that showcases Capannori's award-winning approach—available to watch on YouTube. | |
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FRF: No Butts Day mobilises global action for plastic filter ban | | On No Butts Day (5 July), thousands of volunteers across 25 countries joined forces in the largest cigarette filter cleanup action on the planet, organised by Fair Resource Foundation's (FRF) No Plastic Filter campaign. Armed with tongs and buckets, participants collected 964,000 cigarette butts from streets, parks, and waterways—from Australia to Finland, Congo to Canada. But this wasn't just about cleanup. The campaign calls for a complete ban on plastic cigarette filters, which represent the largest source of plastic pollution worldwide by number. No Butts Day proves that grassroots action combined with clear policy demands can mobilise global awareness—demonstrating that when people unite around evidence-based solutions, they can challenge entire industries and drive systemic change. | | ZW Germany: Putting zero waste heroes in the spotlight | | Every month, Zero Waste Germany (ZW Germany) celebrates grassroots changemakers through their "Hero of the month" series. The first spotlights include Simone Böhm, who built a free crockery lending service with over 7,000 pieces, Juliette Beke, who operates Germany's first zero-waste hair salon, reducing waste by 99%, and Harald Prokscha, whose furniture reuse platform saves millions of pieces from landfills annually. The initiative invites community nominations, asking citizens to identify local changemakers. By amplifying individual stories, ZW Germany shows that transformation can happen through personal innovation—inspiring others to become heroes in their own communities.
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| Fighting against marine pollution with local fishermen | | | #LIFEBIOBEST: Layman's report | | | |
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| POLITICO: Europe’s big trash-burning experiment has become a dirty headache | | Plastic Solutions Fund: Cities pioneer a new reuse economy | | | #MeetTheTeam – Joan Marc Simon | | | |
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| Want to collaborate with us?
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Do you want to collaborate with ZWE and its extended network, and contribute to a truly circular economy? Check out our current opportunities for collaboration: - Movement Associate – the Break Free From Plastic movement (BFFP) is looking for a new colleague to help strengthen and support their European membership, contribute to their communications strategy, and co-create impactful events.
Deadline: 18 August 2025
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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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