2026 January 08 –  As the world welcomes the New Year, 1,000 Civil Society Organizations and Grassroots community groups in over 90 countries are also gearing up for the annual celebration of International Zero Waste Month, amplifying the call for more investment to help cities transition to the zero waste system. This January, GAIA and its members in over 90 countries launch International Zero Waste Month 2026, putting a spotlight on the fact that it is increasingly hard for governments and investors to ignore: Zero Waste is not some fringe dream; it’s a tested solution that now needs appropriate financing to scale.

Marking the first IZWM after GAIA’s 25th anniversary, this global month of action celebrates a quarter century of collaboration that has reshaped how cities manage waste, how communities push back against polluting industries, and how real Zero Waste systems can thrive when people lead the charge.

Over the past twenty-five years, GAIA members have demonstrated reuse systems, segregation-at-source programmes, composting schemes, and waste worker integration that have already transformed neighbourhoods and cities.

In the Philippines, San Fernando achieved city-wide compliance through community-led segregation. Bandung, Indonesia, reduced landfill waste by 73–86% via decentralized composting and recycling, while Kerala, India, scaled similar decentralized systems across the entire state. Tallinn, Estonia, became the country’s first Zero Waste Candidate City. Across Latin America, Buenos Aires integrates waste pickers into replicable systems. In Africa, GAIA pilots demonstrate how community projects can defeat incinerator plans. Meanwhile, in North America, groups in Halifax and Nanaimo are steadily advancing their zero-waste goals.

Tallinn, Estonia, became the first Estonian Zero Waste Candidate City. In Latin America, Buenos Aires integrates waste pickers into replicable systems. In Africa, GAIA pilots defeat incinerators with community projects. In the US and Canada, groups like Halifax and Nanaimo advance zero waste goals.

From Asia to the rest of the world, Zero Waste systems are building momentum. Yet, far too many of them depend on interim, project-based funding that keeps the solutions small and long-term impact susceptible to political and financial whims. IZWM 2026 puts the spotlight squarely on this gap, calling on partners, donors, and allies to back the systems and communities that are already proving Zero Waste works.

Throughout January, IZWM 2026 will unfold through weekly themes that bring to life the story of the movement, from the barriers communities face to innovations changing whole cities. Each week will be member-led actions, reports, digital campaigns, and stories to lift work happening on the ground and amplify global solidarity.

IZWM 2026 Weekly Themes:

  • Week 1: Launch (Jan 1–5): A global kickoff celebrating the 25-year journey of GAIA, charting a bold path toward long-term Zero Waste investment.

  • Week 2: Barriers to Zero Waste (Jan 6–12): This includes, but is not limited to, single-use dependence and policy loopholes; all of which are underlined by the global #RefuseSingleUse Day.

  • Week 3: Solutions Week (Jan 13–19): We showcase community-led innovations involving reuse systems, segregation-at-source programmes, and composting models.

  • Week 4: False Solutions Week (Jan 20–26): An exposé on misleading approaches: incineration and plastic credits that divert resources away from real climate and waste solutions.

  • Week 5: Humans of Zero Waste (Jan 27–31): Emphasizing the backbone of the movement: waste pickers and others in the informal waste sector,  community leaders, and zero waste champions who, through their labour and leadership, effect system-wide change.

Objectives of the month-long campaign are clear: positioning zero waste as one of the most effective responses to the global waste crisis; amplifying the work and leadership of member organisations worldwide; strengthening a unified narrative about the change the movement is driving.

By focusing on the people and communities leading this shift, GAIA aims to bring the story of zero waste beyond policy circles into public consciousness. Throughout January, spokespeople, case studies, and grassroots perspectives from GAIA and its members will be made available. As the world faces rising waste volumes, worsening climate impacts, and mounting pressure to move beyond fossil-fuel-driven industries, IZWM 2026 shows that zero waste solutions are already working. What the world needs now is the political will and financial backing to take them mainstream.

For Zero Waste Month activities happening worldwide, check out zwmonth.zerowaste.asia

The International Zero Waste Month is featured in the following partner media outlets: Daily Asia Today Quetta (Pakistan), The Manila Times (The Philippines), Boracay Island News Network (The Philippines), and Pressenza.

Media Contacts:

Dan Abril, Communications Officer for Programs,  GAIA Asia Pacific | dan@no-burn.org | +639174194426

Robi Kate Miranda, Communications Officer for Campaigns, GAIA Asia Pacific | robi@no-burn.org | +63927 585 4157⁩

About GAIA:

GAIA is a network of grassroots groups as well as national and regional alliances representing more than 1000 organizations from 92 countries. With our work, we aim to catalyze a global shift towards environmental justice by strengthening grassroots social movements that advance solutions to waste and pollution. We envision a just, Zero Waste world built on respect for ecological limits and community rights, where people are free from the burden of toxic pollution, and resources are sustainably conserved, not burned or dumped. www.no-burn.org