| | | | | | | Europe is sizzling hot right now, with a massive heatwave sweeping across the continent. We highly encourage you to find a shady spot, turn on a fan, and cosy up with this month’s newsletter. Grab a cold drink and read on to see what our network has been up to this June! | | | | | | | | | | | Daring to imagine a zero waste Europe – Joan Marc Simon bids farewell in his final publication for ZWE | |
June has been a bit emotional for Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) as our Founder, Joan Marc Simon, caps off 20 years of work with us and gets ready for his next professional adventure.
Joan Marc's contribution to ZWE and the broader zero waste movement is hard to fully put into words. Nonetheless, all his passion, commitment, strategic foresight, and willingness to shake the status quo for the sake of a better world were felt at the end of our Network-Wide Gathering in Slovenia, where he could hear and feel the outpour of love and gratitude from each and every one of our members and colleagues.
Joan Marc's legacy is something that will forever be a part of ZWE, and we know ZWE will forever be a part of him. That's why, before leaving for his next chapter, Joan Marc took the time to share his reflections on the past 20 years of zero waste, as well as his own wishes for the future, in one last publication.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Upcoming webinar: Safe to reuse – health and safety as competitive advantage for reusable packaging | | Single-use packaging is often presented as safer and more hygenic than their reusable counterparts – a misconception with a tint of irony, as there are very well-documented health risks connected to single-use packaging. At the same time, it is essential that cities and businesses make the right design and material choices when it comes to reusable packaging, as it can impact the performance, cleaning, degradation, and safety for consumers.
During the webinar, leading European experts will dig into the guidelines and tackle the big questions around health and safety, such as: - How can we practically embed the health and safety aspects of packaging reuse systems on an equal playing field with considerations of economic and environmental performance?
- What will implementing these guidelines look like in practice for reuse solution providers in Europe today?
- How do we communicate the health risks of single-use packaging and the benefits of reusable alternatives to both businesses and citizens?
| | | | | | | Interpool: Breaking bottlenecks, instead of bottles | | Glass is perfectly designed for washing, refilling, and reusing. With the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) guiding us toward a circular economy, the case for glass reuse is clearer than ever.
However, the potential of glass reuse is currently trapped between national borders, fragmented by different country and industry standards. This is where Interpool comes in: funded by Interreg Northwest Europe, the project sets out to unlock the potential of glass reuse and build a vision for making the reuse of glass packaging work across borders. Over the next three years, project partners (including ZWE, the Mission Zero Academy, and our member Fair Resource Foundation as a Project Lead) will work with frontrunners from the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Germany to harmonise these solutions, with the ultimate goal of a European reuse system without borders.
Want to know more? Lucky you: Interpool now has its own website and LinkedIn page where you can follow along for more project updates! | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | GAIA: Bringing community-led solutions to the Zero Waste Forum in Istanbul, Türkiye | | From 5-7 June, Türkiye hosted the second Zero Waste Forum, bringing together more than 3,000 participants from 140 countries. ZWE joined the Forum as part of a larger delegation from the Global Alliance For Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), going to Istanbul to bring attention to community-led zero waste solutions that address climate change, reduce reliance on waste disposal, and improve environmental health.
Prevention and reuse is at the core of the zero waste philosophy, and it's heartening to see that zero waste is finally entering mainstream climate negotiations: and together with GAIA, we will continue to drive that momentum at COP31 in November.
| | | | FoE Cyprus: Pedalling for progress during first Cypriot Climate Justice Week | | From public debates to grassroots actions, Friends of the Earth Cyprus (FoE Cyprus) brought diverse communities together this June for the country's first-ever Climate Justice Week. Central to the movement was the Climate Justice Forum, a dedicated space where activists, experts, and citizens co-created proposals to expand democratic environmental spaces and advocate for energy justice. The dialogue was paired with direct community mobilization during a "Bike Ride for Climate Justice" through the streets of Limassol. In partnership with Terra Cypria, participants audited local cycling barriers, proving that a zero waste, low-impact future relies heavily on reclaiming safe and fair public spaces.
| | Zelena Akcija: Gathering communities around reuse in Croatia | | Our network thrives on bringing people together, and in Croatia, our member Zelena Akcija did just that by hosting their 3rd Reuse Festival in Zagreb’s Ribnjak Park. Organised under the European project "Threads of Change," the event focused on practical, collective action to keep valuable resources out of waste streams. Among the highlights was their 43rd Swap Party, giving residents an accessible way to exchange pre-loved clothes, alongside hands-on workshops on repairing, upcycling, and sustainable textile use. By demonstrating that wasting less can be an engaging, shared experience, the event highlighted how bringing people together in an open public space is a highly effective way to challenge fast fashion and build a local zero waste culture. | | | | | | | | | | | | | How to design and develop EPR for textiles in the EU? | | | Reducing single-use plastic packaging in public procurement | | | | | Ready to reuse: Slovenians show strong support for waste reduction measures at events | | | Incineration Bottom Ash (IBA): Recommendations for EU-level regulation | | | | | | | | | | | Resource Media: EU circular economy law risks enabling use of hazardous materials in construction | | | Plastics News: Why pricing waste incineration is the missing piece of Europe’s plastics policy - op-ed by Janek Vähk | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 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:- Network Development Officer – ZWE is looking to hire a new colleague for our Network and Movement Building team, who will support the Head of Movement Building through storytelling and capacity development within the network.
Deadline: 26 June 2026
Apply here ➜
| | | | 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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