CommunityNantesNantes zero waste strategy: citizen participationA city that invites residents into the plan Nantes Métropole is building its zero waste strategy from the ground up, running public campaigns that centre citizen participation rather than top-down implementation. In partnership with Zero Waste France through the ERIC project, the city designs each phase of its action plan to include community input: from awareness-raising to feedback on reuse infrastructure. What the programme involves - Public campaigns explaining zero waste goals and inviting resident feedback - Working with local schools, community groups, and neighbourhood councils to co-design waste-reduction actions - Participation in the European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR), coordinating local events and visibility - Knowledge transfer with Lyon and Bordeaux as sister ERIC cities How to engage - Follow Zero Waste France for announcements on public consultations and participation events in Nantes - Contact Nantes Métropole's sustainability office to join citizen working groups on the zero waste strategy - Participate in EWWR events in November when the city amplifies its campaign Why it matters A strategy built with citizens is a strategy communities defend. Nantes' participatory model proves that large metropolitan zero waste plans can be co-created: and that civic engagement improves both the quality and durability of the outcomes. Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. - Lead organisation: Zero Waste France - ERIC project: Elevating Reuse In Cities - Report chapter: ZWE State of Zero Waste Municipalities, 5th editionengagementcitizenspolicyERICzero-waste
CommunityBrusselsBrussels zero waste events action planMaking every public event in Brussels waste-free Zero Waste Belgium developed a comprehensive strategic action plan for zero waste events across Brussels: covering event logistics, supplier requirements, reuse system specifications, and transition guidance for organisers. The plan, built from extensive research and cross-city case studies, is designed for full implementation in 2025. What the plan covers - Reuse requirements for cups, plates, and food packaging at public events - Case studies from cities across Europe that have already mandated zero waste events - Legal framework summary so event organisers understand their obligations - Practical tools and templates for municipalities and venue managers How to engage - Event organisers in Brussels: contact Zero Waste Belgium for support implementing zero waste standards at your event - Municipalities: request a copy of the action plan to adapt it for your local authority - Residents: ask your borough council whether events in your neighbourhood already follow zero waste guidelines Why it matters Public events generate disproportionate single-use waste in short bursts. A city-wide action plan removes the ambiguity: every organiser knows what is expected, every supplier knows what to offer, and every resident can expect a consistent experience across Brussels' festivals, markets, and fairs. Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. - Lead organisation: Zero Waste Belgium - Partner: City of Brussels - Report chapter: ZWE State of Zero Waste Municipalities, 5th editioneventsreusepolicyzero-wasteBrussels
CommunityMunichHelp Munich become a Zero Waste CityCircular Munich in practice Since July 2020 the city council tasked AWM to develop a Zero Waste concept with residents, businesses, and departments. Munich aims to cut roughly 720,000 tonnes of annual household waste and keep resources in use. What you can do - Join workshops and stakeholder sessions on the AWM project page - Start with one habit this week: repair, reuse, or better sorting Three pillars - Zero-Waste lifestyle: mindful consumption in everyday life - Zero-Waste economy: cleaner production and processes - Zero-Waste administration: municipal operations lead by example Why it matters A million-tonne waste cut needs everyone, residents, businesses, and city hall, pulling toward the same circular habits. Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. Project page: Zero Waste City München · AWM projects index: Projektezero-wasteadvocacylocal
Repair & ReuseAmsterdamRepair CaféFix things together instead of throwing them away A free monthly gathering where neighbours repair electronics, clothes, and furniture alongside volunteer coaches. Skills are shared, waste stays out of the bin. What you can do - Bring one broken item and sit with a fixer who talks you through the repair - Offer a skill (soldering, sewing, bike tuning) even for a single afternoon - Partner with a café or library for tables, sockets, and tea Why it matters Repair culture builds confidence, keeps useful objects circulating, and turns consumption into craft.repairskillsmonthlyzero-waste
EnergyViennaBalcony Solar NetworkBulk-buy balcony solar with your neighbours Connect with people in your building to research plug-in panels, share installation tips, and negotiate group discounts where subsidies exist. What you can do - Host a roof or courtyard info session with a local installer or energy cooperative - Compare balcony kits and grid-connection rules for your municipality - Split delivery and mounting help across households on the same facade Why it matters Collective buying lowers cost and fear of the unknown: the fastest path from “someone should do solar” to panels actually humming.solarenergycollectivezero-waste
Food & GardenBerlinCommunity Seed LibraryShare seeds, grow abundance together Set up a free seed exchange at your local library or community centre. Anyone can take seeds, anyone can donate. No money, no hierarchy. What you can do - Find a shelf, box, or drawer in a trusted public space and label it clearly - Invite neighbours to bring labelled envelopes of saved seeds each season - Run a monthly “planting day” where people swap stories as well as varieties Why it matters Local seed networks keep food diversity alive and turn strangers on a street into gardeners who watch out for each other's plots.foodfreecommunityzero-waste
RewildingPortoGuerrilla Wildflower PlantingTurn grey corners into living colour Scatter native wildflower seeds in neglected urban spaces. Low cost, often legal, and surprisingly fast to bloom. What you can do - Choose native mixes suited to your soil and light - Target tree pits, verge edges, or vacant lots with landowner permission where needed - Document before/after photos and share the mix that worked Why it matters Pollinators get corridors through the city, and residents see that beauty can be a collective act, not a municipal contract.natureurbanquick-startzero-waste
CommunityBratislavaSlovakia: stopping incinerators, building zero waste alternativesEight planned incinerators, and the communities fighting them Slovakia has eight planned waste incinerators, but the zero waste movement scored two significant victories in 2024: Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) proceedings were cancelled for two incinerators in Šaľa and Selice (each with a 100,000-tonne annual capacity) and for two chemical recycling facilities in Nováky and Liptovský Mikuláš. Friends of the Earth Slovakia (Priatelia Zeme: SPZ) ran the "Stop Incinerators" campaign, working closely with affected municipalities and local communities. What the campaign involves - Close collaboration with municipalities directly affected by proposed incinerator siting - Legal intervention in EIA processes to block or delay construction approvals - Public education showing that zero waste systems (composting, PAYT, source separation) produce better outcomes than incineration at lower community cost - Political advocacy for Slovakia's national waste strategy to prioritise prevention over burning How to engage - Follow Friends of the Earth Slovakia (Priatelia Zeme: SPZ) for updates on active EIA challenges - Contact your municipal council to ask whether your community is in the path of a proposed incinerator - Share Partizánske's, Košeca's, and Úľany nad Žitavou's results as evidence that source separation and PAYT outperform incineration economically Why it matters Every incinerator built commits a municipality to decades of high-volume waste generation. Slovakia's four cancelled EIAs demonstrate that organised civic advocacy can interrupt the infrastructure pipeline, and that presenting real-world zero waste data to decision-makers works. Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. - Lead: Friends of the Earth Slovakia (Priatelia Zeme: SPZ) - Campaign: Stop spaľovniam (Stop Incinerators) - Report chapter: ZWE State of Zero Waste Municipalities, 5th editionanti-incinerationadvocacypolicyzero-wasteEIA
CommunitySão PauloTool-Sharing CooperativePool the tools your street already owns Share drills, ladders, and sewing machines through one WhatsApp group and a simple checkout spreadsheet. Buy less, lend more. What you can do - List what each household can lend and for how long - Agree on return condition and basic safety rules - Start with five neighbours before scaling to a full block Why it matters Most power tools sit idle 364 days a year; sharing them frees space, money, and carbon for projects that actually get built.sharinglow-costneighbourszero-waste
Food & GardenLyonFree Compost Drop-OffOne bin, ten households, a garden bed of soil Start a neighbourhood composting point with a single bin. Organic waste from a handful of homes can feed a shared bed by autumn. What you can do - Place a rodent-proof bin in a courtyard or alley with clear sorting rules - Rotate who turns the pile and who takes finished compost - Link the output to a community garden or street planters Why it matters Food scraps become soil instead of landfill methane, and neighbours learn what “waste” actually still contains.compostwastegardenzero-waste
