Scaling Grassroots innovations for Zero Waste Cities– A global collaboration between low, low-middle and middle- income countries

The project aims to develop an existing network of researchers, policy makers, and practitioners for the formulation of research projects that examine the challenges and opportunities that grassroots innovations encounter to scale their solutions for a transition towards Zero Waste Cities in lower, low-middle and middle income countries.

By consolidating this inter- and trans-disciplinary network, the project contributes to reduce the adverse impact of cities on climate and environmental change (SDG 11,13), recover resources and therefore reducing resource extraction (SDG 12), improve environmental conditions and health of low-income residents, creating jobs and income among the poor (SDG 1,8).The project will 1) compare challenges and opportunities in low-, middle-low- and middle- income countries 2) articulate strategies to utilize existing research, and 3) further explore synergies, linkages and conflicts between SDGs for a transition towards Zero Waste Cities.To meet the objectives one virtual pre-meeting, one scientific and one transdisciplinary workshops, and one session at a scientific conference, will be held, involving researchers, government officers, international agencies (UN-Habitat, ICLD, Wiego) and waste picker organizations from Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana/UK, Sweden, Argentina, Brazil/Canada.The outcomes will be three concept notes for future research (e.g.plastic waste, organic waste/biogas/clean energies, and grassroots networks) and one full application.