Who wouldn’t want to be part of "the biggest campaign to raise awareness about waste prevention in Europe" (European Week for Waste Reduction)? For CircleUp, EWWR is the perfect event to connect with people and organizations passionate about saving resources!

In Germany's Rhine region, November 11 marks the beginning of the traditional carnival season—on Monday, Düsseldorf was filled with people in costume, ready to celebrate in local bars. But it was also the date and location for the kickoff of the regional EWWR campaign. Experts from municipalities, businesses, NGOs, and politics gathered in the beautiful atrium of the Ministry of the Environment, Nature, and Transport of North Rhine-Westphalia.

This year, EWWR is focused on food waste—one of the four material streams that CircleUp prioritizes. The project was represented by Verbraucherzentrale NRW (VZ NRW), the consumer rights NGO leading the implementation of our household engagement efforts in Bottrop, where the German case study will take place. At our information stand, we engaged in valuable discussions with other participants. Thank you to everyone for the great exchange!

The conference program was packed with valuable insights. Under the tagline "Appreciating Food – Avoiding Waste!", scientists, experts, and practitioners shared their approaches to food waste reduction, presenting work that ranged from municipal campaigns and research projects to large-scale charity operations, small shops, and educational initiatives. No matter the scale, each contribution helped bring us closer to making food waste a thing of the past.

We are grateful to the hosts, organizers, and everyone who presented their essential work. This year’s EWWR takes place from November 16–24, with waste reduction initiatives happening across Europe! (European Week for Waste Reduction).

Explore our partners and resources on LinkedIn:

• Ministry for Agriculture and Consumer Protection of North Rhine-Westphalia
• Verbraucherzentrale NRW
• CircleUp
• VKU - Association of Municipal Enterprises e.V.

Together, we’re building a future where resource conservation and waste prevention are central to everyday life across Europe. At CircleUp, we're inspired by the collaborative efforts we witnessed at EWWR and are excited to see how initiatives like these will continue to shape sustainable habits at home and in our communities. Let’s keep the momentum going and make every week a step toward a circular economy!

Join us and our partners in the journey toward sustainable change! 🌍♻️