A group of 20 cities worldwide has been recognised for their efforts to reduce waste and advance circular economy practices under the “20 Cities Towards Zero Waste” initiative. The programme is led by the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Zero Waste, with support from UN-Habitat and United Nations Environment Programme.
The initiative highlights cities that are actively implementing practical solutions to address the growing global waste challenge. Today, cities generate more than 2.1 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste each year, making local governments central to tackling environmental and public health impacts.
The selected cities are: Accra (Ghana), Bologna (Italy), Chefchaouen (Morocco), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Dehiwala (Sri Lanka), Florianópolis (Brazil), Gaziantep (Türkiye), George Town (Malaysia), Hangzhou (China), Iloilo (Philippines), Kisumu (Kenya), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Lilongwe (Malawi), San Fernando (Philippines), San Francisco (USA), Sanya (China), Suzhou (China), Varkala (India), Yokohama (Japan) and Zapopan (Mexico).
While their contexts differ, these cities share a focus on reducing waste at the source, expanding reuse and recycling systems, and engaging communities in more sustainable consumption patterns. Many are already implementing solutions such as food waste prevention, composting, refill systems and inclusive recycling models involving informal workers.
The initiative also aims to promote knowledge exchange and inspire other cities to accelerate their transition toward zero-waste systems, supporting broader global goals on sustainable cities, responsible consumption and climate action.
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