The carbon footprint of waste - How local waste strategies can cut emissions

A new report by ACR+ explores how circular waste strategies can help reduce emissions. Drawing on insights from seven cities and regions, it shows that targeting the right materials—and the right actions—can unlock significant carbon savings at the local level. 

“The Carbon Footprint of Waste” presents key findings from the “More Circularity, Less Carbon”, led by ACR+ in partnership with Zero Waste Scotland. Running from 2019 to 2025, the initiative involved seven ACR+ members—Belfast, Odense, Ireland, Navarra, Pays de la Loire, Genoa, and the Brussels-Capital Region—aiming to reduce waste-related emissions by 25%. 

The report shows that prevention and reuse, particularly of textiles, plastics, and food, deliver far greater climate benefits than recycling or energy recovery. It emphasizes the role of local and regional authorities in tackling emissions by rethinking waste—not as a disposal challenge, but as a powerful climate action tool within a circular economy. 

Read the report here