Lutter contre les émissions de méthane des décharges grâce à la justice environnementale
- Climate -
Le présent rapport décrit les risques liés aux approches habituelles (« Business As Usual » ou BAU) en matière de réduction des émissions de méthane provenant des décharges et plaide en faveur d'une réponse durable et axée sur la justice. Il s'appuie sur des données internationales, sur les tendances politiques actuelles et sur l'expérience des communautés pour identifier les solutions efficaces et inefficaces en matière de fermeture des décharges et de gestion des déchets organiques.
Le zéro déchet comme stratégie climatique efficace : éviter les compromis de réchauffement liés à l’incinération
- Climate -
Le présent rapport évalue les impacts à long terme sur le réchauffement climatique de trois stratégies de gestion des déchets : les pratiques basées sur l’élimination classique (« Business As Usual » ou BAU) comme la mise en dépotoir ou en décharge, l’incinération et les pratiques zéro déchet comme le tri à la source ou le traitement des déchets organiques et des déchets recyclables. L’analyse se concentre sur trois contextes urbains, à savoir Lagos (Nigeria), Barueri (Brésil) et Quezon City (Philippines), et calcule les impacts prévus sur la température pour chacune des stratégies jusqu’en 2060 à l’aide de l’outil d’estimation des émissions des déchets solides (SWEET) et du modèle climatique FaIR (Finite Amplitude Impulse Response).
Zero Waste Europe, together with Slow Food created a briefing, aimed at providing support to local municipalities to help reduce food waste through a holistic approach enabling the transition towards a sustainable food system.
The guidance outlines the various actions that a municipality can implement to influence food waste reduction and stimulate its sustainable local food system. The guidance highlights examples of how similar policies have been successfully implemented throughout Europe.
Every day, cities send tons of food waste to landfills, even while many families struggle to put meals on the table and farmers lack healthy soil to grow their crops. Reducing food waste and food loss through zero waste systems helps recover edible food, compost organic waste, and return valuable nutrients to the soil. These solutions support sustainable local farming, strengthen food security, and reduce climate pollution.
On this United Nations Day of Zero Waste, we celebrate cities and communities choosing solidarity over waste, resilience over loss, and justice over neglect. Every meal recovered, every composted vegetable, and every local initiative to manage organic waste brings us closer to a future where food is valued, resources are conserved, and communities thrive. #ThisIsZeroWaste
When GAIA was founded more than 25 years ago, the idea of zero waste was often considered unfamiliar or even fringe. Since then, GAIA members around the world have demonstrated how zero waste systems can help cities reduce food waste and organic waste, fight climate change, protect public health, and support local economies.
Working alongside city officials and community organizations, GAIA members have helped design and implement successful zero waste programs, including composting, food recovery, and organics management initiatives. These community-led solutions have become a model for municipalities worldwide and continue to inspire the rapidly growing global zero waste movement.
The United Nations’ recognition of the United Nations Day of Zero Waste on March 30 reflects the impact of these grassroots efforts and highlights the importance of community-driven solutions that advance environmental justice and sustainable waste management.
India Organics Study Tour held on April 18-25, 2017.
GAIA
km.gaia001@gmail.com
(Zero Waste, organics management, composting, India)
Spotlight: GAIA Members Leading the Way to Zero Food Waste
Across the world, GAIA members are leading innovative efforts to reduce food waste and organic waste through community-based zero waste solutions. From food recovery programs to composting initiatives and local organics management systems, these organizations are helping cities prevent food loss, strengthen local food systems, and reduce climate pollution.
The organization Zero Waste Montenegro has successfully piloted decentralized, community-based solutions for organic waste management, demonstrating how cities can reduce food and organic waste even with limited municipal infrastructure. Through local composting and community-led initiatives, the project shows how zero waste solutions can strengthen local systems while reducing waste sent to landfills.
United Nations Day of Zero Waste | Food & Organic Waste
This GAIA member has organized organic waste collection systems in outdoor markets across the Santiago metropolitan region, helping divert food waste from landfills. Over four years, the initiative collected 17.53 tons of food waste, preventing methane emissions equivalent to approximately 1.83 tons of methane while promoting community-based zero waste solutions.
Through its partnership with the community organization Thanal, the city has developed a successful organic waste management program. Within five years, the initiative achieved over 80% compliance in source separation, significantly reducing landfill dependency and environmental pollution while advancing community-based zero waste systems.
This city’s pioneering community-driven zero waste model, led by Nipe Fagio, integrates waste picker cooperatives and achieves an impressive 95% waste diversion rate. The program significantly reduces methane emissions, strengthens inclusive economic opportunities for waste pickers, and demonstrates how scalable, government-supported zero waste systems can transform urban waste management.
After successfully shutting down a polluting incinerator, neighborhoods most affected by waste burning have transformed their waste systems through community gardens and composting programs. These initiatives help manage organic waste locally, reduce pollution, and demonstrate how community-led zero waste solutions can restore both environmental health and local resilience.
Zero Waste Europe, together with Slow Food created a briefing, aimed at providing support to local municipalities to help reduce food waste through a holistic approach enabling the transition towards a sustainable food system.
The guidance outlines the various actions that a municipality can implement to influence food waste reduction and stimulate its sustainable local food system. The guidance highlights examples of how similar policies have been successfully implemented throughout Europe.
Comprehensive Guidance for effective bio-waste management in the EU
Europe – Food waste –
The LIFE BIOBEST Comprehensive Guidance presents key policy recommendations to strengthen the EU legal framework for bio-waste management. Drawing from extensive research and stakeholder consultation, this document outlines three interconnected areas for improvement: boosting effective models for separate collection and recycling, promoting reliable markets for compost and digestate, and enhancing monitoring and enforcement of bio-waste regulations.
The guidance provides concrete policy measures to help close the gap between current practices and potential capture rates, addressing the fact that only 26% of kitchen waste is currently collected separately in the EU. It proposes specific legally binding targets, economic instruments, and monitoring requirements to support the EU’s transition toward more efficient bio-waste management and healthier soils.
Validated by 21 stakeholders representing 13 entities from across Europe, this document serves as a roadmap for EU policymakers working to improve bio-waste management.
A summary video presenting the key recommendations is available with subtitles in 11 EU languages.
Fighting climate change, one bio-waste bin at a time – how the #ForkToFarm project supports Montenegro’s environmental transition
Europe – Organics –
In this interactive case study, we try to bring to life the work led by our member Zero Waste Montenegro during the #ForkToFarm project between 2024-25.
Montenegro continues to face significant pressure when it comes to its waste management, with organic waste central to this challenge as it represents around 40% of Montenegro’s waste stream. Most municipalities lack operational capacity and sufficient infrastructure for proper organic waste management. But this challenge is also an opportunity, given the speed at which decentralised, community-driven solutions can be implemented at a low cost to local authorities.
This case study combines data and qualitative analysis with visual footage and content of the work done by Zero Waste Montenegro over the last 2 years to improve the amount of organic waste which is composted rather than landfilled in its partner communities, which includes the capital city, Podgorica. It showcases the first working examples of decentralised organic waste solutions and their successful impact, with videos and interviews with the leaders behind these progressive policies.
Municipal Strategies for Organic Waste: A Toolkit to Cut Methane Emissions
UN Day of ZW 2026 – Climate –
Municipal Strategies for Organic Waste: A Toolkit to Cut Methane Emissions is the 1st of the GAIA Technical Guidance Series for Policymakers and Financiers on Fast Action on Waste and Methane. Following commitments within the Global Methane Pledge and the COP29 Declaration to Reduce Methane from Organic Waste (ROW declaration), signatory countries have pledged to significantly reduce waste methane emissions by 2030. While this will pose an increase of political and financial resources driven towards the waste sector, there is a need to ensure the implementation of measures to reduce methane emissions is aligned with the Environmental Justice Principles for Fast Action on Waste and Methane.
This toolkit introduces six key strategies to help municipalities reduce methane emissions from organic waste: animal feed, composting, vermicomposting, anaerobic digestion, black soldier fly processing, and landfill biocovers. The primary objective is to prevent organic waste from reaching landfills by prioritizing diversion and resource recovery.
Retrospectiva del despliege basura cero en América Latina
Latin America & the Caribbean – Basura cero –
Informe de actividades para la mitigación de emisionesde metano en los últimos 15 meses.
Si bien GAIA trabaja hace casi 25 años visibilizando, y ayudando a articular proyectos basura cero para poner en vitrina. El lanzamiento de la Global Methane Pledge (el compromiso global del metano) en Glasgow en 2021 cataliza una serie de proyectos y financiamientos en torno a la mitigación de emisiones de metano. Las membresías de GAIA en América Latina han podido concretar proyectos ambiciosos, conectar mejor diversas demandas de gestión de residuos, y en particular definir mejor las pautas por donde deben ir las políticas climáticas para continuar fortaleciendo el movimiento, y de esta manera escalar su implementación.
Nourishing Communities: Gita Pertiwi’s Justice-Centered Food Sharing Model in Surakarta, Indonesia
UN Day of ZW 2026 – Climate –
According to the UN Environment Programme’s Food Waste Index Report 2021, Indonesia is the largest food waste producer in Southeast Asia. The report found that around 20.93 million tons of food waste are produced annually in Indonesia. According to data from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Indonesia (Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan), in 2023, Indonesia’s food waste accounted for 40.73% of the total waste composition, or approximately 13,743,661 tons per year.
Environmental Justice Principles for Fast Action on Waste and Methane
UN Day of ZW 2026 – Climate –
Environmental justice is key to ensuring climate solutions that are fair, just, and sustainable in the future. Up until now, and despite its importance, there has been no central set of values and principles to guide decision-makers in order to ensure that the right steps are being taken to incorporate justice into national plans for methane reduction. The Framework includes a vision for systems change towards zero waste, climate justice, and quick action on methane reduction. Furthermore, it outlines five EJ principles for the waste sector. It is also complemented with guidance for policymakers and checklists for NDCs that are anchored to the five principles. Successful implementation of organic waste diversion in line with EJ principles builds community, waste worker, and local government buy-in and demonstrates the practical effectiveness of these strategies, including important co-benefits in livelihoods and environmental health.
Zero Waste Stories From Africa is a compilation of zero waste case studies from six different African countries. This publication celebrates the grassroots organisations leading these zero waste initiatives by documenting how their zero waste models work, best practices and the milestones in these projects. These organisations include: Association Zéro Déchet Sénégal, Centre for Environment Justice and Development (CEJAD), Environmental Rights Action/ Friends of the Earth, Nigeria (ERA/FOEN), Green Africa Youth Organisation (GAYO), Nipe Fagio, groundWork (gW), Asiye-eTafuleni (AeT), Urban Futures Centre (UFC) from the Durban University of Technology (DUT), Zero Waste Association of South Africa (ZWASA).
Zero Waste to Zero Emissions: How Reducing Waste is a Climate Gamechanger
UN Day of ZW 2026 – Climate –
A new report by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) provides the clearest and most comprehensive evidence to date of how better waste management is critical to the climate fight, while building resilience, creating jobs, and promoting thriving local economies.
With organics making up more than 50% of solid waste in Asia, managing this waste stream will have a huge impact on waste management and the reduction of methane emissions.
With superb illustrations and easy-to-follow instructions, “Back to Earth” encourages people to explore every facet of composting: whether in a sprawling backyard or in a limited space such as a high-rise apartment, composting can be customized to suit any situation.
The most important message, however, is that composting is a simple and yet effective step anyone can take to help alleviate the burden on our landfills, replenish soil nutrients, and reduce carbon and methane emissions.
From Detroit to Dar es Salaam, and from Santiago to San Francisco, cities around the world are proving that community-led zero waste solutions can significantly reduce organic waste sent to landfills. By partnering with local organizations, municipalities are implementing composting, food recovery, and sustainable waste management programs that promote equity and economic opportunity.
Watch the videos below to see how communities are building successful zero waste systems and transforming local waste management. You can also explore our YouTube playlist for more stories of innovation and impact.
In honor of the UN Day of Zero Waste in 2025, GAIA organized an online event wherezero waste experts and GAIA members converged to discuss fast fashion and waste colonialism, share best practices to prevent textile waste, and explore how fashion fits into the larger zero waste movement.
AICED (Democratic Republic of the Congo) – AICED developed a youth empowerment initiative to transform textile waste into art work. Members were interviewed on Radio Okapi, the United Nations radio station in the DRC.
For UN Day of Zero Waste 2024, GAIA organized a virtual event, “The Year of Zero Waste: From Momentum to Action,” where policymakers, grassroots community leaders, climate and waste finance experts, and zero waste implementers engaged in a lively conversation on what it will take to escalate progress on zero waste worldwide based on current trends, obstacles, and proven strategies.
Also in 2024, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria members appeared on the television program TV Continent to discuss zero waste strategies in the region.
Front Commun pour la Protection de l’Environnement et des Espaces Protégés (FCPEEP) in Democratic Republic of the Congo organized a 2024 UN Zero Waste Day video broadcast on a local TV station, as well as
awareness-raising activities for local leaders and community members on waste management, public sanitation and waste collection.
In 2024, Basura Cero in Chile ran a collaborative awareness campaign consisting of a video and graphic materials with the municipalities as their target audiences.
