Just Go Zero: how the Greek island of Tilos became a certified 'Zero Waste' City
Tilos is a tiny Greek island, and in 2021 it undertook to become 'zero waste'. And it succeeded: in 2023, it was officially proclaimed a Zero Waste Certified City.
The Zero Waste Cities Certification is run by Mission Zero Academy. It's founded on the assumption that there is a desperate need for a waste management system which is both more sustainable and fairer, underpinned by the principles of circularity and zero waste.
Tilos accordingly set up the Just Go Zero Tilos project. They worked with Polygreen, a waste management company which provides solutions for industrial waste and marine pollution. The project successfuly minimised waste production and cut out landfilling, with recycling rates of 90%.
Just Go Zero is an innovative methodology for shifting to a zero waste model which can replicated, tailored to local needs.
The Just Go Zero Tilos programme, in collaboration with the Tilos Municipality and with the support of the South Aegean Region has transformed Tilos into Greece's first zero-waste-certified municipality and the world's first zero-waste certified island.
By implementing an innovative door-to-door collection method and introducing sorting practices for bio-waste, recyclable materials and residual waste, Tilos has successfully diverted 100% of its municipal solid waste from landfill, leading to the closure of the landfill facility. The island now has a recycling rate of nearly 90%.
See also the Europe Jacques Delors discussion paper Lessons from the first zero waste island.