The story of Roubaix

France

The town of Roubaix, situated in the north of France, is a post-industrial area, considered to be the poorest town in France, with 46% of people living below the poverty line. However, who said Zero Waste was reserved for well-off towns? Lacking the competency to change waste collection and treatment practices, in 2014, Roubaix addressed waste at source, by creating a vibrant constellation of actors committed to reducing their waste: families, schools, businesses, associations, and the municipality itself.

In only one year the city of Roubaix achieved impressive results:

  • 25% of households managed to reduce their waste generation  over 80% and 70% of them reduced it by 50%
  • Families who took up the challenge have also seen important economic savings
  • The network of actors involved in moving the town forward grown fast and helped to create a social fabric. 

Now Roubaix is not only contributing towards the national path to zero waste but it also portrays a new image of itself as a city.

Download the Case Study

Further questions?

Contact us if you want more information on the case study

CONTACT US

Other Best Practices

Learn from the frontrunners how a city can move towards zero waste

DISCOVER ALL

The story of Tübingen

Tübingen/Germany

The German city of Tübingen took the pioneering steps of introducing a city wide tax on single-use plastic items, which formed just one part of a wider strategy to foster reuse within the city.

START

Introduction of tax on some single-use items

NOW

15%

decrease of waste in public spaces

The Story of Milan

Milan/Italy

Milan’s case shows that successful biowaste collection schemes can be implemented in densely populated areas, allowing for reduced emissions and costs.

START

28 kgs

Biowaste collected

NOW

110kgs

Biowaste collected

europe-logo

Supported by the LIFE Programme of the European Union. This website does not necessarily reflect the views of the donors.