Food & GardenCologneGet a Biotonne: close the compost loop in CologneGet a Biotonne: close the compost loop in Cologne About 40% of what lands in the grey residual bin is compostable organic waste. In Niehl it is burned: costing money, CO₂, and fertile matter that could return to parks and gardens as torffreier Kölner Kompost. What you can do - Ask your landlord for the free brown Biotonne (tenants can use Zero Waste Köln’s postcard template on their project page). - Line the bin with newspaper, keep it in the shade, and skip “compostable” plastic bags: they need industrial conditions Cologne’s plants do not offer. - Buy Kölner Kompost or Blumenerde from AWB/AVG outlets (the Verein advocates more neighbourhood pick-up points). Why it matters Separate bio collection has been mandatory in Germany since 2015, but Cologne households still need to request the bin. Less bio in residual waste can mean a smaller (cheaper) grey bin.compostcircularlocal
CommunityZagrebKrk Island: Europe's first certified Zero Waste island clusterSeven municipalities: one shared model Krk Island became Europe's first certified Zero Waste island when all seven of its municipalities: Krk, Baška, Dobrinj, Malinska-Dubašnica, Omišalj, Punat, and Vrbnik: achieved Zero Waste certification together through the waste company PONIKVE. The result: 60 % average separate collection and only 73 kg of residual waste per resident per year, compared to the Croatian national average of 247 kg. What makes Krk replicable - Door-to-door sorting integrated with the existing island waste system - Joint certification across multiple small municipalities sharing one operator - Farmers and hotels participate in the same collection circuits as households - Ongoing focus on waste prevention and reuse: not just better sorting How to get involved - If your municipality partners with PONIKVE, ask about volunteering in collection or composting - Visit or follow Zelena Akcija to support national Zero Waste certification advocacy Why it matters Krk shows that tourist islands: where seasonal waste peaks are hardest to manage: can still hit Zero Waste targets. The model is already inspiring other coastal communities across Croatia and beyond.islandcertifiedrecycling +2
Repair & ReuseLeipzigVisit Konzeptladen „Wiederschön“Leipzig’s circular department store pilot Stadtreinigung Leipzig and partners are building „Wiederschön“: a hub where reuse, workshops, and education meet shopping. The first Konzeptladen opened in May 2024 in the Höfe am Brühl as a stepping stone toward a larger second-life Kaufhaus. What you will find - Upcycled furniture, products from rescued polymers (3D-printed), tool-lending boxes, jewellery upcycling, and a growing shoe-repair corner - Events and repair workshops on circular living - Space for makers, craftspeople, and associations (funded pilot with reduced rent for partners) Visit - Konzeptladen Wiederschön, Höfe am Brühl, 1st floor (near Müller), Leipzig city centre - Full Kaufhaus location still in planning for Innenstadt, Mockau, or Georg-Schumann-Straße Why it matters A visible reuse shop normalises second-life shopping and gives makers a downtown stage for circular skills.circularshopupcycling
CommunityLeipzigOrganise a neighbourhood swap weekTauschen statt wegwerfen: at city scale Stadtreinigung Leipzig’s Tauschmarkt during European Waste Prevention Week shows how a temporary swap hub can move thousands of items to new homes. The 2023 edition welcomed 1,130 visitors; the 2022 Stadtbüro pilot reached 2,400 over six days with goods collected via Wertstoffhöfe. How to adapt the model - Partner with your municipal waste service or a community centre for drop-off and sorting. - Invite residents to bring clean textiles, toys, books, kitchenware, and small furniture. - Add info corners on circular living: swaps work best as social events, not silent warehouses. Ongoing swaps in Leipzig See the project pages for permanent Tauschmarkt locations linked from Tauschmarkt 2023 and Tauschmarkt im Stadtbüro. Why it matters Large-scale swap hubs prove that giving goods a second home can move thousands of items in one joyful week.swapeventscircular
Repair & ReuseKielMatch excavated soil through the BodenbörseKeep soil in the economic loop Construction and road works generate large volumes of excavated soil. Kiel’s Bodenbörse connects builders, planners, and disposal firms so fill finds a nearby site instead of long hauls to distant deposits. What changed locally - Launched inside city administration in 2023; opened to third parties in 2024. - By end of 2025 roughly 6,600 tonnes of soil and boulders were successfully matched. Who can use it Developers, planning offices, civil-engineering firms, and waste carriers with surplus or demand, contact via the Zero Waste programme pages. Why it matters Matching soil locally cuts long truck hauls and keeps excavation material useful on nearby sites.constructioncircularsoil
Repair & ReuseTallinnKeep materials circulating in TallinnFrom waste stations to circularity centres Environmental protection in Tallinn 2035 means minimising mineral inputs, recycling materials, and collecting environmental data so residents can act on facts, not guilt. The Tallinn Circular Economy Center is turning waste stations into circularity centres with reuse rooms and repair workshops for furniture, textiles, bicycles, and more. What you can do - Drop off still-usable goods at a reuse room or book a repair slot at a circularity centre. - Sort waste correctly at city stations so recyclables stay clean and valuable. - Support local pilots that keep construction materials, packaging, and goods in the loop. Why it matters Keeping materials in use shrinks landfill demand and gives residents concrete ways to act on climate goals.circularrepairreuse
Repair & ReuseBrusselsSTICT: replicating textile waste prevention in BrusselsA city learning from the best textile programmes in Europe Brussels is participating in the STICT project (Sustainable Textile Innovation and Circular Transition), which compiles best-practice models for textile waste prevention and management and works with cities to implement and replicate them. Zero Waste Belgium leads the Brussels partnership, bringing evidence-based strategies to local authorities and businesses. What the project does - Documents the most effective textile collection, repair, and resale models from across Europe - Works with Brussels authorities to implement scalable textile waste prevention measures - Provides a replication toolkit so other cities can adopt proven approaches without starting from scratch - Connects local repair workshops, clothing swaps, and upcycling organisations into the city's circular textile network How to engage - Brussels residents: find local textile repair workshops and clothing swap events through Zero Waste Belgium - Textile businesses and retailers in Brussels: contact Zero Waste Belgium about participating in the STICT circular model - Other municipalities: request the STICT replication toolkit to adapt the Brussels approach to your context Why it matters Textiles are among the fastest-growing waste streams in Europe. Brussels joining STICT means a dense, fashion-forward city is building infrastructure for repair and reuse: sending a signal to the industry and giving residents real alternatives to disposal.textilesreuseprevention +2
CommunityFlorenceCapannori: one of Europe's first certified Zero Waste citiesThe pioneer that showed it could be done Capannori, a municipality of about 45,000 people near Lucca in Tuscany, is one of Europe's first cities to achieve Zero Waste certification. It set out decades ago to prove that a community could dramatically reduce the waste it sends to landfill and incineration: not through technology fixes, but through source separation, reuse, and community involvement. What Capannori built - Door-to-door separate collection as the default for every household - A Zero Waste Research Centre (Centro Capannori Rifiuti Zero) studying product design flaws and advocating for producer responsibility - Composting and textile collection integrated alongside paper, glass, metal, and plastics - Waste reduction targets embedded in municipal planning Why it matters Capannori's model is not a product of wealth or special geography. It is a replicable template: start with ambitious separate collection targets, involve residents early, and redirect waste budget away from disposal toward prevention. The ZWE-certified result inspired dozens of Italian municipalities to follow. How to engage - Visit or contact Zero Waste Italy to learn how Capannori's model can be adapted for your municipality - Follow Capannori's zero waste research centre for publications and advocacy toolscertifiedcircularpioneer +2
CommunityWarsawBaltic Sea coastal waste standards: building a replication model from UstkaTurning a Baltic port town's waste practices into a national template The Polish Zero Waste Association works with the gmina (municipality) of Ustka on the Baltic Sea coast, focusing on waste management standards suited to coastal environments: fishing debris, tourist-season surges, and marine plastic. The project aims to develop replicable standards for Baltic Sea coastal municipalities that other towns along the coast can adopt without having to start from scratch. What the project involves - Developing waste management standards specifically suited to coastal contexts - Collaboration with Ustka on ghost net management (see linked initiative below) - Knowledge sharing with the Pomeranian Region, which invited the Association to support circular economy models for residents - Documenting what works so that Darłowo, Kołobrzeg, Władysławowo, and other Baltic towns have a ready-made framework How to engage - Ustka and Baltic coast municipalities: contact Polish Zero Waste Association for the coastal waste standards framework - Coastal residents: support local waste sorting programmes, especially for marine debris: separate waste correctly and report illegal dump sites near the shore - Fishing communities: engage with the ghost net collection programme to ensure nets that are no longer in service enter the right waste stream Why it matters Coastal towns face waste spikes tourists never see on the map, fishing debris, ghost nets, and summer-season surges. Ustka's standards give every Baltic municipality a head start instead of reinventing the playbook port by port.coastalcircularstandards +2
Repair & ReuseLjubljanaBled STICT: circular textile challenge with international expertsTackling tourism's textile footprint Under the EU STICT (Sustainable Textiles In Circular Tourism) project, EBM partnered with the municipality of Bled and international sustainability experts to explore solutions for the environmental and economic impacts of textiles in a tourism-heavy destination. The initiative investigates sustainable sourcing, collection, and reuse of textiles across hotels, venues, and local businesses in the Bled area. What the project explores - Environmental footprint of hotel linen and event textiles - Collection and redistribution systems for reusable or recyclable textiles - Policy levers municipalities can use to shift procurement How to engage - Follow EBM for workshops and findings as the STICT project publishes results - If you manage a venue near Bled, ask EBM about participation in the textile audit pilot Why it matters Tourism destinations generate disproportionate textile waste. Bled's participation in STICT means findings apply directly to one of Slovenia's most visited areas: making lessons replicable for every European resort town.textilescirculartourism +1
VisitFood & GardenCologneWhere to compost in CologneWhere to compost in Cologne Garden trimmings and woody scraps have a home at the AVG recycling yards in Niehl and Heumar, where householders deliver compostable green waste in small loads. What you can do in Cologne - Bring Grünschnitt, trunk wood, and other compostable organics in small amounts to the AVG recycling yard Köln-Niehl - Use the second public yard at Wikingerstraße 100, 51107 Köln (Heumar) when Niehl is across town - Buy KöKo bagged garden compost at the yard when you need finished soil for beds (price listed on the organiser site) - Pair drop-off with the city brown-bin collection so kitchen waste and garden waste both stay in regional loops How to join The Niehl yard lists Geestemünder Straße 20, 50735 Köln. Opening hours and fees are on the AVG site; confirm before you load the car. Commercial green-waste accounts use separate forms on the same site. This row covers the public household pathway named on the recycling-yard page. Why it matters in Cologne Cologne's bio-waste feeds large composting and digestion plants that return KöKo compost to balconies and gardens. Dropping prunings locally beats burning them or stuffing them in the residual bin. Find more community projects in Cologne. Good to know - Where do I take food scraps if I do not have a garden? This page covers garden and woody waste at AVG yards. Kitchen bio-waste belongs in the municipal brown bin; the organiser does not list a separate citizen drop for plate scraps at Niehl. - Can I buy compost the same day I drop branches? The organiser sells KöKo compost products at Niehl and Heumar; check the yard page for product names and sack prices. - Is there a composting service I can book? AVG focuses on yard delivery and commercial accounts. This entry describes the public recycling-yard path, not a paid curbside subscription.compostgreen-wastecircular +1
LearnRepair & ReuseNairobiGjenge Makers plastic waste bricksBuilding materials from shredded plastic waste Gjenge Makers (Nairobi, Kenya) turns plastic waste into affordable building materials, shredding and pressing discarded plastic into bricks and pavers that Impacc reports as seven times stronger and 50% lighter than concrete. What you can do - Source pavers or bricks for community paving, school yards, or yard paths - Organise neighbourhood plastic collection drives that feed local recycling processors - Visit or tour the workshop where possible to learn small-scale production lines How to participate - Enquire about products and collection partnerships via the Gjenge Makers portfolio page Why it matters Plastic litter becomes public infrastructure when makerspaces pair collection with honest engineering, strength tested, weight reduced, cost accessible.plasticrecyclingbricks +2
