Increasingly, regional and national governments are outlining ambitious targets that set the framework for Europe’s transition towards a net-zero,  circular economy. Yet the reality on the ground sadly does not often reflect this ambition. Implementation is slow and local authorities still have a lack of knowledge and resources that’s preventing them from designing and operating effective zero waste strategies in their communities.

It is within this context and the subsequent urgent need for change that we decided to create a structured curriculum to facilitate training of Zero Waste Ambassadors.

The aim of the course is to strengthen and spread zero waste competences among changemakers across Europe, and to empower them to support and drive their communities towards long term systemic change. This curriculum provides educators with a framework and a set of activities to be able to teach the most important concepts and practical knowledge of how to implement zero waste strategies at the local level.

In this document, you will find a comprehensive overview of the objectives, design and content of the Zero Waste Ambassador course. We hope that with this information, you will be able to use it to organise your own educational sessions and build more networks of Zero Waste Ambassadors, helping drive Europe’s transition to zero waste at the local level.

This training video gives an example of how a Zero Waste Ambassador could approach their municipality, or actually any stakeholder. It can be used as a training tool to discuss how to best get stakeholders interested in zero waste. More information how to use this as training tool can be found from “Training video guide for Zero Waste Ambassadors” in the Zero Waste Training Handbook.

The skills and competencies gained through this training program are certified with a Zero Waste Ambassador Certificate. It is a separate process where you will be supported, either through training or via the verification of your competencies independently. You can apply to become certified and receive the Certificate through the Zero Waste Cities programme. 

Certified Ambassadors and Trainers from all across Europe are listed on our expert page, which you could be added to. An expert certification will give you confidence in carrying out your mission, as well as helping you advance in your career. Qualified knowledge in implementing a circular economy is increasingly sought after in all sectors and various positions.

If you want to learn more about getting the Certificate, please contact us at [email protected]

This document is the result of the BEZWA project (Building a European Zero Waste Academy) – an Erasmus+ funded collaboration between five organisations with the main aim to create a strong educational framework in support of the zero waste cities movement in Europe. The project partners were Zero Waste Europe, Ekologi brez meja, Estonian University of Life Sciences and Tallinn University, with Let’s Do It Foundation as the project coordinator.