ICLEI | City Practitioners Handbook: Reuse Starter Kit for Food and Beverages

Driven by changing lifestyles, increasing urbanization, and the rise of fast food, disposable packaging was marketed as hygienic, time-saving, and economically efficient. These items—plastic cutlery, expanded polystyrene (EPS), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, symbolized progress and mobility in a society increasingly shaped by consumerism and on-the-go consumption patterns. Today, urban environments are overwhelmed by the […]
ICLEI | Packaging Reuse at Events: Portfolio of Case Studies

Cities worldwide are increasingly prioritising sustainability, with waste management and packaging reuse gaining prominence as critical issues. Events such as festivals, concerts, and conferences generate significant amounts of single-use packaging, contributing to the generation of great quantities of waste. In response, several cities have implementedor supported initiatives aimed at reducing event-related waste by promoting the […]
GIZ, ICLEI | Circular Economy in South Africa: Opportunities for reusable packaging systems and women’s participation

This study, commissioned by GIZ and led by ICLEI Africa, explores the economic and waste landscape of three South African cities—Cape Town, Ekurhuleni, and uMhlathuze—with a focus on enabling environments for circular economy engagement and support for women’s participation. The study employs a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative and qualitative methodologies, to assess the baseline opportunities, […]