Developing a Zero Waste concept for Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg

The project measured the status quo on waste in the district, researched best-practices from around the world and developed 37 concrete actions which the municipality can implement.

The challenge

With a rising population and waste quite visible in the public space of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, the municipality wanted to know what concrete actions they can take, regardless of city or national politics.

Our approach

Looking at waste from a systems perspective, we defined zero waste as “the waste that doesn’t get produced”. We first identified the main waste issues in the district, along with the hotspots where it occurs. In parallel, we looked at what we can learn from prior work in the sector on a local, national and international level. Finally, we combined the findings with our expertise in order to develop solutions for the municipality.

The outcome

We identified 23 best-practices from around the world, focusing on public spaces and events. 37 concrete actions were developed, which can be implemented or initiated by the municipality in a timespan of 5 years. The projects focused on:

1. Awareness-raising measures to integrate zero waste into people’s everyday lives
2. Connecting relevant actors
3. Cross-regional networking
4. Investing in solutions over the long term: a single pilot is not enough

These actions can be implemented at a district level or in the 12 main waste-hotspots which were identified during the project.

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