Programme nearbyCommunityViladecansViladecans Plastic Prevention Plan: binding measures already runningA ZW candidate city taking plastic seriously Viladecans, a municipality of 70,000 on the southern edge of Barcelona, is a Zero Waste candidate city and a participant in the EU ERIC (Elevating Reuse In Cities) project alongside Torrelles de Llobregat. In 2024, Viladecans became one of the first Catalan cities to approve and begin implementing a binding Plastic Prevention Plan: a document that commits the municipality to specific, measurable plastic reduction measures already underway. What the plan includes - Reduction of single-use plastics in municipal events and public spaces - Promotion of reusable alternatives for takeaway containers in local hospitality - Procurement criteria requiring plastic-free options for city contracts - Monitoring and annual public reporting on plastic reduction outcomes How to participate - Attend Viladecans municipal events: they are piloting reusable tableware and cup systems - Ask local restaurants and bars about takeaway reuse options promoted under the plan - Follow Rezero for the ERIC project updates on reuse infrastructure in Viladecans Why it matters Binding plans with implementation already started are rare: most cities stop at commitments. Viladecans's plan, combined with its ERIC project participation, makes it one of the most concretely active zero waste cities in Spain right now.plasticpreventionplan +2
Programme nearbyCommunityTorrelles de LlobregatTorrelles de Llobregat: certified and plastic-free by planA certified Zero Waste city with a binding plastic prevention plan Torrelles de Llobregat, a small ZWE-certified Zero Waste municipality in Catalonia, took its commitments further in 2024 by approving and starting to implement a binding Plastic Prevention Plan: following the same model as candidate city Viladecans. Torrelles also participates in the ERIC project alongside Viladecans, creating a productive pair of municipalities that share tools, funding, and lessons. What Torrelles shows - Small certified municipalities can lead on plastic prevention without large budgets - Certification and plastic prevention planning are complementary: not sequential - The ERIC project provided both the methodology and funding that made the plan viable What you can do - Visit Torrelles as a case study if you are working on Zero Waste strategies in your own municipality - Contact Rezero to access the Torrelles and Viladecans plastic prevention planning tools - Follow the ERIC project for replicable reuse infrastructure models applicable to any small city Why it matters Certified cities that continue innovating: instead of resting on certification: keep the Zero Waste movement credible and dynamic. Torrelles's plan shows that even very small municipalities can set binding plastic reduction targets.certifiedplasticprevention +2
Programme nearbyCommunitySkiathosSkiathos Zero Waste candidate: plastic prevention and the ERIC projectA tourist island taking on plastic: with EU support Skiathos, one of the Sporades islands and a major summer tourist destination, is a Zero Waste candidate municipality working with ECOREC on a Plastic Prevention Plan under the EU ERIC (Elevating Reuse In Cities) project. The plan, in development as of 2024: addresses the particular waste challenge of an island that receives hundreds of thousands of tourists each summer, many of them arriving on dayboats, generating concentrated seasonal waste. What the Skiathos programme covers - Plastic Prevention Plan being developed with ECOREC and the ERIC project framework - Collaboration with the municipality on waste stream analysis and reduction targets - The Zero Waste Rota programme trains dayboat operators to educate tourists on waste disposal at sea and on remote beaches not accessible by road Why it matters Greek tourist islands generate disproportionate waste relative to their permanent populations. A working plastic prevention plan in Skiathos would give every other Aegean tourist island a concrete template: and the ERIC project means European funding and methodology back the effort. How to engage - If you visit Skiathos, follow guidance on dayboat operators' waste practices and separate waste correctly at island facilities - Follow ECOREC for the Plastic Prevention Plan's public consultation stages - Ask your own municipality's environmental office whether ERIC project participation is availableplasticpreventionplan +2
Programme nearbyCommunityLyonLyon Zero Plastic Prevention Plan (ERIC project)A metropolitan plastic plan built with citizens Lyon Métropole (1.4 million inhabitants) adopted a Zero Plastic Prevention Plan (PPP) in partnership with Zero Waste France through the EU ERIC (Elevating Reuse In Cities) project. The plan sets plastic reduction targets, defines public communication strategies to mobilise residents, and establishes zero-plastic public procurement charters for the metropolitan authority. What the plan covers - Plastic prevention targets for the Lyon metropolitan area - Communication campaigns to engage residents in reducing single-use plastic - Reuse systems for take-away and public-event contexts, trialled via CITEO funding - Zero-plastic procurement charters for city contracts and events - Knowledge exchange with Bordeaux and Nantes through the shared ERIC programme How to engage - Follow Zero Waste France for updates on the Lyon PPP implementation and citizen participation phases - Contact your arrondissement council to ask how the PPP affects local markets and events near you - Join public events coordinated through the European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR): Lyon hosted 120+ events in 2024 Why it matters Lyon's PPP is one of three flagship French cities in the ERIC project, alongside Bordeaux and Nantes. A working model at metropolitan scale creates the evidence base that other French agglomerations need to adopt similar plans: and demonstrates that plastic prevention at 1.4 million inhabitants is achievable.plastic-freepolicyprevention +2
Programme nearbyRepair & 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
Programme nearbyCommunityNicosiaNicosia Plastic Prevention Plan: ERIC project on the islandCyprus's capital building a plastic prevention strategy Friends of the Earth Cyprus works with the Municipality of Nicosia to develop a Plastic Prevention Plan through the EU ERIC (Elevating Reuse In Cities) project: covering waste management at public events and establishing a broader city-wide resource strategy. Nicosia's plan is part of the same network that connects Lyon, Bordeaux, Nantes, and Skiathos, giving Cyprus direct access to European best practices in plastic reduction. What the Nicosia plan covers - Plastic prevention targets for events and public spaces in Nicosia - Review of public procurement to reduce single-use plastics in municipal services - Communication campaigns to engage residents and event organisers - Knowledge exchange with other ERIC cities in France, Greece, and beyond How to engage - Nicosia residents: follow Friends of the Earth Cyprus for announcements on public consultation phases of the Plastic Prevention Plan - Event organisers in Nicosia: contact FoE Cyprus to learn how the ERIC project's event standards apply to your event - Cyprus-wide: the Nicosia plan sets a precedent: ask your own municipal council whether it will develop a similar plan Why it matters Cyprus has no Zero Waste certified or candidate cities, and PAYT has been delayed. The Nicosia Plastic Prevention Plan shows that progress is possible through voluntary commitment and EU project infrastructure even when national policy is slow.plastic-freepreventionpolicy +2
Programme nearbyCommunityDüsseldorfCollect cigarette butts during KippenwocheCollect cigarette butts during Kippenwoche R(h)ein-Kippen runs each 1 to 8 May as a week-long butt-collection action ahead of the September river day. Cigarette filters leach toxins into water; counting and removing them makes the problem visible without guilt-only messaging. What you can do - Join an open Kippenwoche group via RhineCleanUp MACH MIT or MainCleanUp - Organise a small team: use screw-top jars or cartons, wear disposable gloves, and tally what you find - Request butt bins, grabbers, and gloves from the programme where offered; some cities also set up collection columns to show scale - Read the R(h)ein-Kippen overview for background and dates How it works The action lasts one week each spring. You can collect solo or register a public group. RhineCleanUp reports community totals (for example over 250,000 butts in Düsseldorf in past years) to sharpen prevention conversations with councils and venues. Why it matters Butts are among the most common items on European riverbanks. A focused week trains the eye, keeps filters out of storm drains, and builds habits that carry into the larger shoreline cleanups in September.cigarette buttspreventionriver +2
