Zero Waste Paris is a non-profit association promoting Zero Waste in Paris and Île-de-France. We are members of the Local Group Network of Zero Waste France.
Founded in 2016, we raise awareness about zero waste, take action to reduce waste in the Paris and Île-de-France area, and lobby public officials and decision makers to support ambitious projects.
Our association is composed almost entirely of volunteers, with the support of a salaried coordinator and a project manager. We are hosted by our sister association, the Maison du Zéro Déchet, in the 12th arrondissement.
Our missions
- raise awareness of environmental problems related to waste
- prevent and reduce the quantity of waste
- campaign against waste treatment that does not respect the environment (landfill, incineration, etc.)
- promote the zero waste approach
Our actions and services
Zero Waste Paris addresses many audiences: individuals, businesses, communities, schools. We work to increase awareness of zero waste, support and advocacy with local politicians and decision-makers.
Some of our actions are available as paid services for those interested. They are presented in our catalogue of services.
Our organisation
Zero Waste Paris is a non-profit association relying mainly on volunteers. We operate on the principle of collective governance, without a hierarchical organisation. Everyone is involved according to their availability and their desires.
We are guided by values of independence, transparency, non-violence and perseverance. We wish to act for the common good, with benevolence and positivity.
Zero Waste Paris is organised into working groups by theme (e.g. zero waste in the office, zero waste sports, communication, finance, etc.) or local neighbourhoods which act as close to the community as possible (Paris 19th, Boulogne, etc.
Each group or neighbourhood is autonomous in making decisions that concern it, by collective decision-making within the group. Decisions at a wider level for the association are taken in the same way, during meetings open to all our members.
If a decision impacts the image of Zero Waste Paris or its legal or financial responsibilities, an associative college validates the decision. This college is elected each year at our general assembly.
Our funding
Zero Waste Paris’ actions are financed by membership fees, by donations and by paid services (training, interventions, calls for proposals etc.). These actions are largely made possible by the investment of time by our many volunteers. You can find a report of our activities and financial statements at the bottom of this page.
The Zero Waste ecosystem in Paris
Zero Waste Paris is part of an ecosystem of associations in the Paris region that are advancing the zero waste approach. We work closely with:
- Zero Waste France, the national association promoting zero waste throughout France. It is at the origin of many campaigns, studies and positions that we embody locally. This is our parent association.
- La Maison du Zéro Déchet, a location dedicated to zero waste in Paris, which offers a store, a café, conferences and workshops. Created by Zero Waste France, la Maison du Zéro Déchet is our sister association. We sit on its board of directors, alongside Zero Waste France.
We also work with:
- other local groups of Zero Waste France in the Ile-de-France region working outside of Paris. We meet and work together with them from time to time.
- the réseau consigne Île-de-France, a professional network dedicated to collections for reuse in Île-de-France
- The 3R collective (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), an association which campaigns for zero waste alternatives to incineration and landfill. In particular, they are opposed to the reconstruction of an incinerator at Ivry.
Our history
- March 2016: creation of citizen’s collective
- October 2017: declaration as an association
- December 2018: first employee
- July 2020: relocation to the Maison du Zéro Déchet
Activity report
You can find our activity reports and financial statements (in French), on the French version this page.