Shortly after celebrating the 15th anniversary of its zero waste commitment, the Tuscan city of Capannori has become a Zero Waste Certified City with the accreditation of 4 stars.
The Zero Waste Cities Certification is a robust European third-party assessed certification standard, developed by the non-governmental organisation Mission Zero Academy (MiZA) and powered by Zero Waste Europe. Fully supported by the non-profit local organisation Zero Waste Italy, this certification aims to accelerate the European cities’ zero waste transition.
Capannori, European frontrunner in the zero waste and circular economy movement, counts with a wide range of waste prevention, reuse and recycling measures in place. Moreover, it has created a dedicated strategy for improvements, engaging widely both with the local community and different stakeholders to facilitate the zero waste transition.
Among its impressive and inspiring results, the municipality of Capannori, with the support of Zero Waste Italy, managed to achieve:
- 81.86% of separate collection rate, while the European average is about 48%
- 59 kg of residual waste per capita, about 60% below the Italian average.
Following the Certification, the municipality will carry out yearly improvements to monitor and enhance the outcomes achieved, which will be subjected to new audits every 3 years to confirm the Certification status, with the possibility to level up, reaching a maximum of 5 stars.
Luca Menesini, Mayor of Capannori said “We are proud of this extraordinary recognition, which comes 15 years after joining the Zero Waste strategy. It confirms that by focusing on environmental protection, restoring waste as a resource to new life, and avoiding incineration, we are on the right path towards a circular economy that will ensure a quality future for the new generations –
I thank all the citizens of Capannori for this result, a cohesive community ready to respond positively to every innovation, the Ascit company and its workers, the Zero Waste Research Center, and Rossano Ercolini, a teacher on the subject who has always been on our side, always contributing with valuable ideas”, he added.
Kaisa Karjalainen, Mission Zero Academy Manager stated: “The Zero Waste Cities network began with Capannori and has since then inspired hundreds of European cities serving as a starting point for our Zero Waste Cities Certification. We want to congratulate them on their achievement and continuous leadership on the topic. We are sure they once again serve as an inspiration to other cities in Italy and beyond.”
“I am proud that my hometown of Capannori has been certified as a ZWE city by MiZA. This is the best way to celebrate the anniversary of our zero-waste commitment and to further the bottom up story that started with the defeat of an incinerator. Zero waste is possible and necessary for an Ecological Revolution”, highlighted Rossano Ercolini, Zero Waste Italy and Zero Waste Europe President.