GAIA’S WORK IN EUROPE
GAIA’s presence in Europe is represented through Zero Waste Europe (ZWE), our European branch that works on a wide range of projects and policy areas with a single objective: advancing the zero waste future for Europe. By engaging communities, local leaders, businesses, experts, and change agents working towards the same vision of phasing out waste from our society, ZWE is able to effectively influence European policy and the grass-roots implementation of zero waste projects.


Our most recent accomplishments include the publication of the “State of the Zero Waste Municipalities Report,” a landmark report that showcases the development of the movement alongside data from zero waste cities across Europe; and the health research project“Plastic in the Spotlight,” which takes action on toxic chemicals in food packaging. In addition to leading the Break Free From Plastic’s European chapter through the Rethink Plastic alliance, ZWE has been the lead NGO on the topic of chemical recycling. This year, we will be presenting both a Zero Waste Cities Certification and a Zero Waste Label for local businesses and events committed to move towards zero waste.
LATEST NEWS IN EUROPE
Illegal Shipments of Italian Municipal Waste to Tunisia






International, European, Italian and Tunisian environmental groups have joined in demanding the immediate return of 282 containers full of mixed municipal waste that were illegally exported from Italy’s Campania region to the Port of Sousse in Tunisia between May and July 2020. According to the environmental organizations, the exports violated European Union law, Tunisian law as well as international waste trade treaties — the Basel Convention, the Bamako Convention and the Izmir Protocol of the Barcelona Convention.
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Cement, Waste, and Carbon Markets










The cement industry is a major contributor to climate change. The production of cement, the second most consumed product in the world after water, is one of the most energy-intensive industrial processes. This report presents the false solutions of the cement industry in the fight against climate change with a special focus on Spain, where civil society is taking the lead in the reporting of cement plants’ wrongdoing. The Coordinadora Anti-incineración de Residuos en Cementeras, a network of local groups that are fighting waste incineration in cement kilns,
has collected first-hand information of the many affected communities are paying the cement traps with their health and future of their economies.
Toxic Fallout – Waste Incinerator Bottom Ash in a Circular Economy










This report uses independent empirical research to evidence that incinerator bottom ash is insidiously hazardous and under-regulated. Risk is heightened by the fact that testing methods for its use as a building material are outdated. A list of fifteen concerns for public health and safety is provided in relation to the use of waste incinerator bottom ash in cement-based products and as road/pathway aggregate. Calls for the support of its use within a circular economy are premature, and, as per the precautionary principle, all ongoing usage should cease. Examination of independently analysed bottom ash provides a diagnostic on the operational steady state of waste incinerators, incidentally raising concerns about operational compliance with emissions legislation and the capacity of incinerators to produce benign bottom ash when fed with municipal solid waste.
Rethinking the EU Landfill Target










GAIA CONTACTS IN EUROPE


Giulia Lodi
As Communication & Network Officer, Giulia develops and implements the ZWE’s communication activities together with the other members of the Communications Team. At the same time, she is the main point of contact in the Communications Team for ZWE’s member organisations, working together to improve the communications with and for our network. Giulia believes that a more sustainable and resources-mindful society is possible by fostering cross-sector collaborations and local involvement. She personally tries to minimise her impact on the planet by buying consciously and reusing and repairing as much as possible.


Nathan Dufour
Nathan leads on ZWE efforts to make reusable packaging systems a reality in Europe, building bridges between CSOs, new businesses, innovators, cities, academics, investors and policy-makers. A substantial part of these efforts is coordinated through the systemic work we do as part of the ReuSe Vanguard Project (RSVP), which started early 2021. He also co-coordinates the business leg of the BFFP-led We Choose Reuse campaign which, among others, has gathered the support of more than 300 businesses from across Europe.


Solène Fargeix
As the Business Development Manager for the Mission Zero Academy (MiZA), Solène designs strategies and engages with key partners, municipalities, and businesses to accelerate their transition to zero waste, while supporting them through their certification journey in a comprehensive way.
Before joining Zero Waste Europe, Solène worked as a Business Developer providing advisory services in China to foreign companies willing to set up operations in the Mainland, providing them with customised solutions. Working on multiple projects at a time, she has experience in construction, human resources, and tax advisory services.


Seán Flynn
Seán leads all press activities as it pertains to the organization, from drafting and publishing press releases to media liaison. He also supports the communications team in the delivery of high-impact social media and other communications materials.


Manon Jourdan
As an Implementation Officer, Manon works closely with ZWE network members, cities, and partners, providing them with the technical guidance and support needed to accelerate the implementation of zero waste strategies at the local level. This includes capturing, showcasing, and disseminating best practices and methods related to waste prevention and management, reuse systems, organics collection and recovery as well as financing opportunities.
A large part of her role focuses on the implementation of the LIFE BIOBEST project, which identifies, validates, and mainstreams best practices on bio-waste recycling in Europe.


Alice Marquet
As Alice, I oversee the effective day-to-day operations of the organization: HR, finance, and legal. With the operations team, she makes sure ZWE’s company culture and values are reflected throughout the organization and that we enable everyone to be successful in their roles.


Aline Maigret
As the Head of Policy, Aline is responsible for coordinating the policy team of ZWE and for representing the organization in policy discussions. She ensures strategic coherence and vision for the EU and global policy work, and supports ZWE’s policy team working on topics ranging from product design to waste disposal.
To sum up: bringing ZWE policy efforts together.


Theresa Mörsen
As a Waste Policy Officer, Theresa mainly acts within the EU institutional bubble, pushing for more ambitious legislation on waste management, food waste, or waste shipments. She also supports the Cities & Communities program by linking with European legislation and identifying good practices to be disseminated across Europe.


Stephanie Yates
Stephanie coordinates the engagement of the network of 32 members in the work of ZWE and makes sure that members are supported and empowered to implement a joint vision of a zero waste Europe.


Nanna Cornelsen
As a Communications Assistant, Nanna supports the implementation of all ZWE’s communication activities, including digital campaigns, newsletters, and content for social media.


Lauriane Veillard
As the Policy Officer on Chemicals Recycling and Plastic-to-Fuels, Lauriane engages with European institutions to develop ambitious, human-, and environmentally-friendly legislation focusing on the chemical treatment of waste. Before joining ZWE, she did a traineeship at the European Parliament, where she followed the IMCO Committee and focused on consumer protection.


Desi Borisova
Desi ensures that ZWE runs smoothly and maintains a healthy financial state through compliance with financial procedures. She’s involved in payments, accounting, and budget follow-up; and is a contact point for any financial matters. Prior to joining the team, Desi had work experiences in the healthcare, aviation, and IT sectors. She completed a traineeship at the European Commission’s DG Trade and volunteered in an organization for health and drug prevention amongst the youth.


Mariel Vilella
Mariel is currently driving the global work of Zero Waste Europe as Director of Global Strategy, building bridges and identifying opportunities for collaboration across borders to promote zero waste policies and practices with members worldwide. Prior to this role, between 2014-2019 she was the Managing Director of Zero Waste Europe, during its foundation and early development. Before 2014 she was the lead climate policy campaigner for the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA).


Larissa Copello
Larissa has a background in Law and she worked as a Legal Consultant on environment, health, and safety policies. She is passionate about environmental protection and sustainable development practices. She is a zero waster at heart, and enjoys running campaigns and empowering people towards sustainable consumption patterns. She also likes cooking and preparing her zero waste cosmetics and products, while fostering her creativity.


Kaisa Larjalainen
Kaisa leads the development of the Mission Zero Academy and its services; design, test and scale-up different training and consultancy concepts; as well as performance certifications that accelerate the transition to zero waste in municipalities and businesses. She scouts and forms partnerships with different organizations on a similar mission, and identifies the most pressing needs for us to solve.


Dorota Napierska
Dorota works on toxic-free consumption and production to ensure safe and sustainable solutions. That means work on the presence of hazardous chemicals in products and packaging, promotion of non-toxic alternatives, and how this all impacts human health, the environment, and the achievement of a truly circular economy. Her advocacy work focuses on the revision of the EU food contact materials legislation.


Ana Oliveira
Ana’s previous work experiences include EU institutions, NGOs, and private sector communication companies, where she was responsible for strategic communications, business development, and project communications. Environmental topics have been a constant throughout her career, be it through the link between health and environment, sustainability in the building sector, and the promotion of eco-innovative business practices. Ana holds a BA in Communications Sciences from the University of Porto and a MA in European Studies from KU Leuven. She speaks Portuguese, English, Dutch, French, and Italian.


Alexandra Clipa
Alexandra has a background in International Relations and European Studies and a Master in Political Science from Université libre de Bruxelles. She has always been interested in topics such as sustainability, economics and development studies. She has previously worked for a company specialized in the production of organic, fair trade and sustainable ingredients from the Amazon Rainforest, and through this activity she has become more aware of the importance of climate protection and the necessity to adopt a much healthier and eco-friendly lifestyle.


Esra Tat
Esra leads on the strategic development of Zero Waste Europe as a network and organisation, and manages the implementation of the vision with the team and member organisations. She coordinates the development of European campaigns in partnership with Zero Waste Europe’s members across the continent, and acts as the European Regional Coordinator towards GAIA International to further promote zero waste models worldwide.


Jack McQuibban
Jack has an educational background in international relations having studied at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom. For the past 5 years, he has worked for two different NGOs within the international development and sustainability sectors, helping to build movements and communities for change. He has led successful campaigns at the local level within the UK as well as at the global level at institutions such as the United Nations. Jack will be leading our work with municipalities, helping to connect members from across Europe to build and contribute towards the transition of cities towards zero waste strategies.


Janek Vähk
As Development and Policy Coordinator, Janek manages the relationship with Zero Waste Europe’s funders and leads on climate and energy policy advocacy work towards EU institutions. Previously, he worked for the Friends of the Earth Europe (FoEE) in Brussels where he coordinated fundraising efforts on behalf of FoEE and its 6 programmes. Prior to the FoEE, Janek worked for the Justice and Environment (J&E) where he provided leadership for the development of strategic partnerships.


Joan Marc Simon
Based in Brussels, Joan Marc has been a leading voice for Zero Waste in Europe since 2007 and he is a regular keynote speaker in many industry and NGO meetings in Brussels but also at local level as well as internationally. He is member of the Steering Committee of the Break Free from Plastics movement. Among many other publications he has authored the Zero Waste Masterplan for cities as well as the book “Zero Waste – How to reactivate the economy without trashing the planet”.
GAIA AT WORK IN EUROPE








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