CommunityLuxembourgGreen Events logo: 364 events, 250,000 people, no single-use packagingA country that made reuse the norm at every public gathering Oekozenter Pafendall and SuperDrecksKëscht coordinate the Green Events programme across approximately 40 Luxembourg municipalities. In 2024, 364 public events: village fairs, cultural programmes, sports events: received the Green Events logo, covering nearly 250,000 attendees without single-use food and drink packaging. What Green Events certification requires - Elimination of single-use plastic, cardboard, and other disposable packaging for food and drink service - Use of reusable dishware or certified compostable alternatives where reuse is logistically impossible - A written sustainability plan submitted by the event organiser before the logo is awarded - Post-event reporting to verify compliance How to engage - Event organisers in Luxembourg: contact Oekozenter Pafendall to apply for Green Events certification - Municipalities: join the 40 municipalities already participating by making Green Events the default requirement for events on public land - Visitors: ask at the entrance whether the event is Green Events certified: your question makes certification matter Why it matters When 364 events in a small country all operate without single-use packaging, reuse stops being the exception and becomes the new normal. Luxembourg's programme shows that a relatively straightforward certification process can shift the entire events sector within a few years. Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. - Lead: Oekozenter Pafendall (OEKO) + SuperDrecksKëscht - Report chapter: ZWE State of Zero Waste Municipalities, 5th editioneventsreusecertificationsustainabilityLuxembourg
CommunityLuxembourgSanem: mandatory Green Events standard for all municipal eventsOne municipality that made zero waste non-negotiable The municipality of Sanem requires every public event hosted on municipal premises to meet Green Events standards: eliminating single-use packaging at source. The municipality provides event organisers with guidance, reusable dishware, and logistical support, making compliance straightforward rather than burdensome. What Sanem's mandatory standard means in practice - All events on municipal land must submit a sustainability plan and use reusable or approved alternatives - The municipality acts as a service provider, not just a regulator: it lends dishware and connects organisers with the dishwashing facility - Enforcement is paired with support: no organiser is left without a practical reuse option - Other Luxembourg municipalities are now looking to Sanem as a model to adopt in their own event policies How to engage - Sanem residents and organisations: contact the municipality to use the reusable dishware service for your event - Other Luxembourg municipalities: contact Oekozenter Pafendall to learn how to adopt a similar mandatory standard - Event organisers across Luxembourg: ask your municipality whether it will follow Sanem's lead Why it matters Voluntary standards work until they don't. Sanem's mandatory approach removes the competitive disadvantage for organisers who want to go zero waste: everyone operates on the same terms. This is the policy design that makes reuse economically rational. Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. - Lead: Municipality of Sanem + Oekozenter Pafendall (OEKO) - Report chapter: ZWE State of Zero Waste Municipalities, 5th editionpolicyeventsreusemandateSanem
Repair & ReuseLuxembourgMobile dishwashing trailers: reuse infrastructure that travelsA solution for every venue, including the ones without a kitchen Oekozenter Pafendall advises municipalities and event organisers across Luxembourg on building reusable dishware infrastructure, including mobile dishwashing trailers that travel between venues. The model makes reuse viable at smaller events, temporary locations, and one-off gatherings that lack fixed dishwashing capacity. What mobile dishwashing enables - Any field, square, or park can host a zero waste event: the trailer brings the infrastructure - Municipalities can share a single mobile unit across multiple events rather than investing in fixed facilities - The trailer model scales: as more events adopt reuse, more trailers enter circulation - Oekozenter Pafendall provides transition advice so organisers can plan the shift from disposable to reusable efficiently How to engage - Event organisers across Luxembourg: contact Oekozenter Pafendall to learn about mobile dishwashing services and availability - Municipalities: explore co-investing in a shared mobile unit with neighbouring communes through PRO-SUD or another inter-municipal structure - Associations planning outdoor events: ask OEKO whether a mobile trailer service covers your region Why it matters Fixed dishwashing facilities work for large permanent venues. Mobile trailers remove the last practical objection to reuse for small and mid-size outdoor events. Luxembourg's pioneering infrastructure work is making single-use packaging at events look not just wasteful but inconvenient. Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. - Lead: Oekozenter Pafendall (OEKO) - Report chapter: ZWE State of Zero Waste Municipalities, 5th editioneventsdishwashingmobilereuseinfrastructure
LuxembourgDatum offenSanem industrial dishwashing: 1,700 cups per hourThe infrastructure that makes reuse possible at scale Sanem commissioned an industrial dishwashing facility in 2022 capable of cleaning up to 1,700 cups per hour. By 2024, demand had grown so much that the facility added weekend shifts: and is now planning expansion to handle reusable food containers in addition to cups. The facility also serves neighbouring municipalities, making it a shared regional resource. Where - Sanem, Luxembourg (approximate pin at commune centre) How to participate - Event organisers in the Sanem area: contact the municipality to book time at the dishwashing facility for your event - Neighbouring municipalities: contact Sanem or Oekozenter Pafendall to arrange access to the facility for your events - Infrastructure advocates: use Sanem's usage data (1,700 cups/hour, added weekend shifts) when making the case for shared dishwashing investment in your own region Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. - Lead: Municipality of Sanem + Oekozenter Pafendall (OEKO) - Report chapter: ZWE State of Zero Waste Municipalities, 5th edition
LuxembourgDatum offenRSVP take-away reuse pilot: Sanem, Differdange, PRO-SUDFrom events to everyday: reusable containers for take-away food As part of the EU ReuSe Vanguard Project (RSVP), Sanem and Differdange: together with the PRO-SUD inter-municipal structure (11 municipalities): are piloting a reuse system for take-away food and beverage packaging. The pilot tests the infrastructure, logistics, and customer behaviour needed to replace disposable containers in everyday commerce. Where - Differdange, Luxembourg (RSVP pilot venue area; approximate pin at Differdange commune centre) - Also active in Sanem and PRO-SUD partner municipalities How to participate - Residents in Sanem and Differdange: look for participating take-away venues and return your reusable container after use: the pilot depends on resident participation to prove the model works - HORECA businesses in the region: contact Oekozenter Pafendall to join the RSVP pilot and access the shared container logistics - Other municipalities: ask OEKO about replicating the RSVP model in your commune through the PRO-SUD or another inter-municipal structure Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. - Lead: Oekozenter Pafendall (OEKO) + Municipality of Sanem + Municipality of Differdange + PRO-SUD - RSVP project: ReuSe Vanguard Project - Report chapter: ZWE State of Zero Waste Municipalities, 5th edition
