Hi there, dear Reader!

With Europe Day just around the corner, it's a great moment to celebrate the zero waste movement in action across the continent.

This month, we spotlight cities and businesses already putting reuse systems into practice, from a landmark court ruling on single-use taxes in Germany, to reusable pizza boxes in Belgium, and a congress in Catalonia that avoided nearly 3,900 single-use items in just three days.

We also share our 2025 Annual Report, an overview of our work and impact alongside local communities and cities. Read on to get inspired!

Highlight of the month

What does a zero waste congress actually look like?

In December 2025, the city of Viladecans put it to the test. During CONAMA Local, a three-day professional congress with over 600 attendees, a full reuse system was deployed for the first time.

Developed by Rezero under the ERIC (Elevating Reuse In Cities) project, the pilot rolled out six water fountains, a reusable cup return system, and reusable catering items across the event's venues. The results are that nearly 3,900 single-use items were avoided, saving 57.7 kg of waste and preventing 327 kg of CO₂ equivalent emissions, all in just three days.

Beyond the numbers, the pilot offers a replicable model for cities and event organisers looking to move from intention to impact. Read the full case study to find out how it was done and what it takes to make reuse systems work at scale.

Want more #ZeroWasteCities?

We have compiled a short list of things you might find useful:

Tübingen introduced a tax on single-use items and won the court case confirming its legality. That ruling has since opened the door for cities across Germany to follow suit.

The Belgian broadcaster RTBF featured the reuse systems in Mechelen and Ghent restaurants as practical alternatives to single-use packaging. Read more here.

Discover our 2025 Annual Report: a year of action, policy breakthroughs, and zero waste solutions reaching 14 million citizens across 17 European countries.

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.

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