CommunityCologneWalk Cologne with the Zero Waste SchweifWalk Cologne with the Zero Waste Schweif Grab the Schweif booklet and one to four friends, then wander your Kiez with small tasks that help you spot waste, reuse, and resources in everyday streets. No tour guide: you set the pace. How it works - Pick up a booklet at partner cafés, unverpackt shops, or Zero Waste Köln info stands (hours vary by location). - Work through quizzes and observation prompts designed in Cologne, usable in any urban neighbourhood. - Optional deep-dive facts on the project page after you have tried the riddles yourself. Why it matters Cologne burns roughly 2,000 tonnes of waste every day; the Schweif turns that abstract number into curiosity about what we throw away and what could stay in the loop.walkingeducationlocal
VolunteerCommunityMunichMake schools heat-resilient with cool heads in MunichMake schools heat-resilient with cool heads in Munich Munich partners (Münchener Rück Stiftung, Munich Science Communication Lab at LMU, and KLUG) host public evenings on hitzeresiliente Schulen: how classrooms stay healthy when temperatures spike. The pattern travels: map hot corridors, plant shade, open cool rooms, and involve parents and students in heat plans. What you can do - Watch for school heat evenings on the Hitzeaktionstag calendar - Ask your Schulelternbeirat or facility manager for a cool-room protocol and drinking-water stations - Pair with local Health for Future groups for clinic and school heat checklists How it works Education and health actors share evidence on learning under heat, then schools pilot shade, timetable shifts, and cool spaces. Residents bring lived classroom experience into municipal heat plans. Why it matters Children cannot wait for a distant climate target when July already melts concentration by noon.schoolheatHitzeaktionstag +2
CommunityCologneBring Zero Waste into schools in CologneBring Zero Waste into schools in Cologne Zero Waste Köln works in schools and out-of-school settings so young people learn separation, avoidance, and circular thinking: not guilt, but practical habits. Current offers - Bildungskoffer (in development with Universität Köln): a lending kit on waste, avoidance, and sorting for primary schools. - Schulausstellung “Zero Waste Parcours”: travelling exhibition formats (see project pages for availability). - Public talks and VHS evenings listed on the calendar. For teachers and parents Reach Team Schule/Bildung via bildung@zerowastekoeln.de for visits, materials, and volunteering (pedagogy helpful, not required). Why it matters Young people who learn separation and avoidance early carry those habits into adulthood, multiplying impact across households.educationschoolscologne
CommunityLeipzigBook „SOS Umwelt“ for your schoolKleine Schritte, große Wirkung: on stage „SOS Umwelt“ is a children’s musical (ages 6-11) developed for „Mein Leipzig schon ich mir“. Tom Dewulf (writer, actor, singer) and Carolin Hesse (costumes, set) take pupils on a mission at the „Weltretter-Schule“ to pass their final exam in Abfall: through songs, interaction, and memorable mnemonics. What you can do - Book the musical for primary schools, after-school care, and project days across Saxony (pricing via ARTO Entertainment) - Waste hierarchy themes covered playfully: avoidance, reuse, repair, recycling, upcycling, second-hand, and Mehrweg Why it matters Songs and stage play lodge waste hierarchy facts in children's memory better than another slide deck.educationchildrentheatre
CommunityKielBook Zero Waste workshops for schoolsHands-on learning: not guilt slides The Umweltschutzamt and ABK run school and Kita workshops on waste sorting, papermaking, e-waste teardown, and neighbourhood Zero Waste walks. Partners include Zero Waste Kiel e.V., Ozeankind, and Verbraucherzentrale SH. What you can do - Book modules such as Papierschöpfen, Was steckt in meinem Handy?, or the Zero Waste Walk starting at the Nachhaltigkeitszentrum (ages 7+ or 12+ depending on module). - Request Umweltschutzamt support for pupil projects on avoidance, fair trade, mobility, or biodiversity. - Help your school earn Kieler KlimaSchulen recognition for year-round environmental projects. Why it matters Practical modules let pupils sort real waste, remake paper, and visit swap and repair spots instead of only reading slides.educationschoolsworkshops
LearnCommunityTallinnLearn sustainability through schools and youth workEnvironmental topics woven into growing up Education and youth work in the strategy integrate environmental themes so residents care for place, consume with circular thinking, and join themed projects. Tallinn is a model municipality for Education for Sustainable Development since 2021. What you can do - Teachers: request outdoor lessons or garden visits (Pelgu and other gardens host educational groups). - Youth groups: propose hands-on waste-reduction or biodiversity projects to district youth centres. - Explore non-formal learning through community gardens and city environmental campaigns. Why it matters Environmental topics woven into school and youth work shape habits that last into adult life.educationyouthworkshops
LearnCommunityTallinnLearn at Tallinn's environmental education networkNature knowledge across the city Tallinn is developing an environmental education centre network with partners including Tallinn Zoo, Kadriorg Park, and the Botanic Garden, plus community and learning gardens for hands-on programmes. What you can do - Visit partner centres for seasonal programmes; ask schools about outdoor lessons in gardens or parks. - Join citizen initiatives the city supports to spread environmental awareness in your district. Why it matters When residents know local species, water, and waste systems, everyday choices align with the city’s circular and climate goals.educationnaturenetwork
LearnCommunityBogotaBack zero waste policy with civil society in BogotaPolitical will plus neighbourhood action Bogotá appears among Latin American districts with zero waste commitments where political will and civil-society partners work together, a regional pattern GAIA members support through environmental education, source segregation, and policy reform. What you can do - Join a local environmental group pushing for source separation and recycler inclusion in your locality. - Request zero-waste training for your school or neighbourhood council through GAIA-linked partners in Colombia. Why it matters Municipal zero waste succeeds when residents and recyclers co-design systems, not when waste is privatised into landfills or incineration.policyeducationsegregation
CommunityViennaGraz "(Zero) Waste in the City?": civic dialogue between activism and urban agendaA panel that brought zero waste into the policy conversation In September 2024, Zero Waste Austria participated in a panel discussion in Graz: "(Zero) Waste in the City? Between Activism and Urban Agenda", organised by the Waste in Motion (WiM) research network. The panel brought together experts from WiM, representatives of the City of Graz, Zero Waste Austria, and Katja Sres from Ekologi Brez Meja (Slovenia): one of the strongest Zero Waste Europe member organisations. The format is designed to be replicable in other Austrian cities. What the panel discussion format provides - A structured dialogue between zero waste advocates, researchers, and city officials - Cross-border learning: Slovenia's experience via Ekologi Brez Meja adds an EU best-practice dimension - A public record that zero waste is a legitimate part of urban policy discourse in Graz - A template that other Austrian cities can use to host similar panels with city council involvement How to engage - Austrian municipalities and research institutions: contact Zero Waste Austria or the Waste in Motion research network to organise a similar panel in your city - Activists and civil society: use the Graz format as a model for connecting with local researchers and city officials: the research network provides academic legitimacy - Students and academics: engage with the Waste in Motion network and connect zero waste scholarship to local policy advocacy Why it matters Zero waste needs a seat at the urban policy table, not just protest outside it. The Graz panel brought advocates, researchers, and city officials into one room, a replicable format for turning activism into municipal agenda.advocacyeducationpolicy +2
CommunityBlagoevgradBlagoevgrad: pictorial waste separation guide for all residentsA guide designed so everyone can understand it In Blagoevgrad, Za Zemiata and the municipality developed a pictorial household waste separation guide as part of the #ForkToFarm campaign: designed to be accessible to residents regardless of literacy level, language background, or prior environmental knowledge. The guide uses clear illustrations to show what goes where, reducing the confusion that causes contamination of sorted streams. What the guide covers - Visual instructions for each waste category: kitchen organics, recyclables, mixed residual - Pictorial representation of common items that are frequently sorted incorrectly - Distributed in print through municipal services, schools, and community centres - Designed with input from local government to reflect Blagoevgrad's specific waste collection infrastructure How to engage - Blagoevgrad residents: pick up the guide from your municipal waste service or community centre and use it to review your household sorting habits - Other Bulgarian municipalities: contact Za Zemiata to adapt the Blagoevgrad pictorial guide for your own local waste system - Educators: use the guide in school waste workshops: the visual format works especially well with younger children and parents who have limited experience with sorting systems Why it matters Clear communication is the lowest-cost, highest-impact intervention in source separation. When residents know what to do, sorted waste quality improves, recyclers accept more material, and the financial case for collection strengthens.educationwaste-sortinginclusion +2
CommunitySofiaEcoObshtina: Bulgaria's national zero waste municipality competitionThe competition that raised the stakes for Bulgarian local government The EcoObshtina (Eco Municipality) competition is Bulgaria's largest annual award for sustainable municipalities, organised in partnership with the French Embassy. Za Zemiata shapes its evaluation criteria to prioritise measurable waste reduction outcomes: ensuring the competition rewards genuinely impactful programmes over greenwashing. In 2024, both Svilengrad and Gabrovo received the EcoMunicipality award, boosting the visibility of zero waste solutions at the level of national ministries and the National Association of Municipalities. What EcoObshtina does for zero waste - Evaluation criteria designed by Za Zemiata to reward source separation rates, PAYT implementation, and community engagement over less measurable commitments - Award ceremonies provide media coverage that amplifies zero waste success stories nationally - Partnership with the French Embassy brings international credibility and comparative benchmarking - Winning municipalities become reference cases for other local authorities to study How to engage - Bulgarian municipalities: apply for the next EcoObshtina cycle: follow Za Zemiata for application deadlines and criteria - Community groups: nominate your municipality for EcoObshtina recognition and document the waste programmes it runs - Policy advocates: use the competition results to name and praise municipalities that are leading: and ask the Ministry why national policy has not yet caught up with local practice Why it matters National awards turn local zero waste wins into stories ministers and neighbouring mayors cannot ignore. When Svilengrad and Gabrovo took EcoMunicipality honours in 2024, they gave every Bulgarian council a visible benchmark, and a reason to aim higher than greenwashing.advocacyawardspolicy +2
CommunitySofiaBulgaria: zero waste event guide for businesses and organisersA practical guide making sustainable events the easy choice Za Zemiata published a practical zero waste event guide offering concrete advice on hosting low-waste and waste-free events: covering catering, packaging, waste station design, volunteering, and post-event reporting. The guide has been well received by business partners as well as civil society, positioning waste reduction as a competitive advantage rather than an obligation. What the guide covers - Step-by-step instructions for event planners: pre-event, during, and post-event waste management - Catering supplier checklist for single-use plastic alternatives and reusable systems - Waste station layout templates optimised for different event sizes - Communication templates for telling attendees what they can do - Case studies from Bulgarian events that have already adopted zero waste practices How to engage - Event organisers in Bulgaria: download the guide from Za Zemiata and share it with your catering and venue partners - Businesses hosting corporate events: use the guide as a starting point for your sustainability commitments - Municipalities planning public events: contact Za Zemiata for tailored support applying the guide to specific local contexts Why it matters Festivals and corporate gatherings generate concentrated waste in a single weekend. A practical guide lowers the barrier for organisers who want to do better, turning zero waste from a niche commitment into something any venue can plan for.eventseducationreuse +2
