Programme nearbyCommunityLisbonPAYT pilots in Portugal: municipalities taking control of waste costsPay-As-You-Throw arrives in Portuguese cities In 2024 the Portuguese national government opened new Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) funding schemes, making it financially viable for municipalities to overhaul their waste collection systems. Municipalities including Fornos de Algodres, São João da Madeira, and Silves are implementing the measures they observed during study visits to Italy and Spain: including door-to-door collection schedules, smart bin tags that identify and reject incorrectly sorted bins, and digital monitoring tools. What PAYT means for residents - Households that separate waste correctly and generate less residual waste pay lower bills - The system creates a direct, fair link between individual behaviour and cost - Monitoring data helps municipalities pinpoint collection problems before they worsen What you can do - If your municipality is piloting PAYT, attend public information sessions and ask how your household can benefit - Advocate with your local council to apply for the new national PAYT funding - Follow ZERO for the latest funding rounds and municipal case studies Why it matters With 60 % of Portugal's waste going to overflowing landfills, cost-based incentives for households are one of the fastest levers available. PAYT pilots in Silves and São João da Madeira are the first step toward national uptake.paytwaste-reductionfunding +1
Programme nearbyCommunityBarcelonaRezerolabDades: check your Catalan municipality's zero waste progress30+ indicators for 300 municipalities, updated every year RezerolabDades is a free public data tool built by Rezero that analyses over 30 waste-related indicators for approximately 300 Catalan municipalities each year. Indicators include separate collection rates, residual waste per capita, composting volumes, and proximity to Zero Waste targets. The tool is used by municipalities, researchers, journalists, and residents to track whether their area is moving toward or away from zero waste. What you can do with it - Look up your municipality's separate collection rate and compare it to Catalan neighbours - Share results with your local council as evidence for improving collection infrastructure - Use the data to write letters, reports, or media pieces about waste performance in your area - Identify which municipalities are models worth visiting or learning from How to access it - Visit Rezero's data page for the latest RezerolabDades release - Rezero publishes an annual summary report alongside the raw indicators Why it matters Accountability needs data. RezerolabDades makes it impossible for municipalities to hide poor performance behind vague statements: and equally easy to celebrate genuine progress. It is one of the most sophisticated municipal waste monitoring tools in Europe at a regional scale.datamonitoringanalytics +2
Programme nearbyRewildingRomeMonitor seagrass health as a citizen scientistSnorkel for science along Italian coasts GreenLife4Seas trains residents to photograph seagrass cover, note anchor scars, and upload observations from coves near Rome and Naples. What you can do - Register for citizen science modules on the GreenLife4Seas portal - Adopt a cove: monthly photos from the same GPS point build a public meadow timeline - Host a shoreline talk so fishers and swimmers learn why mooring buoys matter How it works You receive a simple field card: depth, clarity, meadow edge, and boat traffic. Uploads feed maps that harbour masters use to move anchoring zones. Why it matters When residents measure meadows, protection stops being abstract: everyone sees regrowth after a single summer of care.citizen scienceseagrassmonitoring +1
