French Solid Waste Partnership

Senate Report: 2050 Horizon

Lucia Lopez — 2026-07-17T10:19:27Z

This Senate report calls for a profound shift in the way we think about the world, moving away from the mere pursuit of growth towards an economy that values resilience, the health of the living, sustainability and well-being, in line with the “One Health” concept.

The 2050 horizon, with its major challenges—climate change, resource depletion, ageing population, and technological transition—requires us to re-examine what we value in the economy, and what kind of economy we want for the future.

Far from being a purely theoretical exercise, this transdisciplinary report presents four scenarios of what our future might look like, ranging from innovation-driven hyper-growth to more frugal and resilient societies. It also proposes ambitious courses of action to reinvent our accounting tools, our public policies and our vision of progress. It is an accessible and highly topical text that inspires us to reflect — and to act — to build an economy capable of meeting the challenges of life, at the heart of which lies the concept of well-being.

Competition in the Circular Economy

Lucia Lopez — 2026-07-17T10:09:52Z

This document outlines how the French Competition Authority addresses issues related to the green transition.

Using the example of the household plastic packaging waste sector, this document demonstrates how competition law can support environmental policies without hindering market dynamics. The study highlights recent changes to the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework and the recommendations made by the Authority to ensure a balance between environmental effectiveness, industrial innovation and fair competition.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and waste

Lucia Lopez — 2026-06-25T09:12:34Z

Resource and waste management is the cornerstone of sustainable development, at the intersection of public health, sustainable cities, pollution control, climate change, biodiversity conservation, and the transition to circular and resilient economic models.

This infographic, produced by the French Solid Waste Partnership (FSWP), highlights the links between waste prevention and management, the circular economy, and the Global Sustainable Development Goals established by the UN in 2015.

It shows how actions taken throughout the waste management hierarchy—prevention, reuse, recycling, and environmentally sound waste management—contribute to achieving the SDGs. It also emphasizes that achieving these goals creates an environment conducive to the development of more sustainable resource and waste management systems. Achieving the SDGs requires sound resource and waste management, which in turn depends on progress across all SDGs.

This infographic is part of the FSWP's efforts to raise awareness of the resource and waste sector's contribution to key sustainable development challenges and to ensure it is better integrated into national and international public policies.

Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) Snapshot – Top 50 Emitters, Country Responses and Mitigation

Lucia Lopez — 2026-06-08T10:07:46Z

Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases and a significant share of it comes from sources that can be identified, tracked, and mitigated. UNEP's Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) integrates data from more than 30 satellites to alert countries of major methane emissions and enable concrete action.

This April 2026 snapshot provides an updated picture of where the world stands: 41 major methane sources have been confirmed as mitigated following MARS notifications, representing an estimated 1,200,000 tonnes of methane, a climate impact comparable to nearly 24 million gasoline-powered cars driven for one year. Countries that have designated a MARS focal point consistently demonstrate higher response rates and more effective follow-through.

Waste sector landfills appear repeatedly among the world's 50 largest methane emitters — including sites in Chile, India, Angola, Iran, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Yemen — illustrating the direct and measurable link between unmanaged waste and global methane emissions.

Position Paper on Circular Economy and a 2050 Vision

Lucia Lopez — 2026-06-04T15:13:45Z

Circular economy is not an end in itself. Its ultimate goal is not to “increase recycling” or “close loops”, but to build a future where value creation is decoupled from environmental bads —including resource extraction, and waste generation.

In public debate, circular economy is often reduced to recycling. However, recent international work – in particular the ISO 59004 norm, adopted in 2024, which breaks down the “10R” principle* into 13 actions ordered according to the life cycle – shows that a complete circular economy begins well before recycling and continues well beyond it. Refusing and avoiding some products or uses, rethinking the needs, adapting production through eco-design, reducing resource consumption, reusing, repairing, reconditioning, remanufacturing, repurposing, recycling, recovering energy, and even recovering materials stored in historic landfill sites: these actions form a coherent scale where recycling and energy recovery are at the bottom, once all the levers of reduction, moderation, sustainability, reuse and repair have been activated.

These coordinated actions only make sense when viewed in the context of the three objectives of circular economy: to reduce environmental and health impacts, to maintain an economy that creates value and jobs, and to ensure our societies' resource sovereignty and resilience.

Given the imperative of ecological, economic and social transition, the French Solid Waste Partnership (FSWP) is contributing to international discussions on what a circular economy could ultimately look like in 2050, both in France and around the world.

Read the full Position Paper about Circular Economy and a 2050 Vision.

To better understand this transition, watch our animated video on it: Transition to a Circular Economy

Global Push Presentation

Lucia Lopez — 2026-05-28T07:58:30Z

Sustainable resources and waste management is a key cross-cutting issue for public health, environmental protection, the fight against climate change, the preservation of biodiversity and the transition to more resilient economies implementing the actions of the circular economy.*

Many international initiatives are already working to achieve the SDGs and to the protection of health and the environment by improving the sustainable management of resources and waste. Nevertheless, their ambitions remain scattered and fragmented. There are many actors involved — national and local authorities, businesses, financial institutions, international organisations, civil society actors, academia — but they do not yet have a common space to structure dialogue, share experiences and collectively examine the necessary transition pathways. The absence of such a common space and of a shared global vision on resources and waste limits the coherence and impact of international actions.

It was in response to this observation that the international “Global Push” initiative emerged, of which the primary objective is to enable local action, developed under the impetus of the FSWP (French Solid Waste Partnership), with several discussion partners: ISWA (International Solid Waste Association), UNEP-IETC (United Nations Environment Programme), the Secretariat of the BRS Conventions (Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm) and UN-Habitat.

To learn more read aou page on the subject here :
Global Push Initiative

*Refer to ISO Standard 59004 for the list of 13 prioritised actions, also available here.

Economie circulaire, Stahel et Lambert, 2025

Corinne — 2026-05-19T12:18:59Z

Fiche de Lecture - Economie circulaire. Les défis à relever pour atteindre une économie de performance.
Publication de Walter R. Stahel et François-Michel Lambert. Ed. Dunod, mars 2025, 272 pages.

Et si la croissance économique ne dépendait plus de la quantité de biens produits et achetés, mais de leur durée de vie allongée, de leur usage intensifié et maximisé ? Dans leur livre « Économie circulaire. Les défis à relever pour atteindre une économie de performance », François-Michel Lambert et Walter R. Stahel, pionnier de la pensée circulaire, nous invitent à repenser notre rapport à la production, à la consommation et à la valeur. Cet ouvrage décrit une économie où performance rime avec durabilité, où chaque acteur – entreprise, citoyen, décideur public – devient partie prenante d'un modèle plus sobre et plus efficace. Ce livre est essentiel pour comprendre les mutations à venir et pour agir dès aujourd'hui pour une économie du XXIᵉ siècle vraiment soutenable. Il offre un nouveau cadre conceptuel, pour appréhender au mieux les enjeux de l'économie circulaire, notamment par les notions de domaines du R et du D et le développement abouti ce que doit être l'économie de performance, concept dont Walter Stahel en est le pionnier (avec Orio Giarini), avec la publication de référence en 1990 Les limites du certain.

What a Waste 3.0

Lucia Lopez — 2026-03-24T13:53:02Z

Published by the World Bank Group, What a Waste 3.0 is the third edition of a global series dedicated to municipal solid waste management at the global level.

Building on the 2012 and 2018 editions, this report provides an updated and expanded analysis based on the most recent publicly available data, covering 217 countries and economies and 262 cities. It compiles structured information on waste generation, composition, collection, treatment, and disposal, as well as on regulatory frameworks, institutional arrangements, costs, and financing mechanisms.

Designed as a technical reference, the publication aims to provide a comprehensive global dataset to support analysis, planning, and benchmarking of waste management systems. It does not put forward policy recommendations, but instead makes data widely accessible to support evidence-based decision-making and informed dialogue across the sector.

Against the backdrop of rising waste volumes, increasing environmental pressures, and persistent service gaps, What a Waste 3.0 highlights the scale and urgency of the global challenge. By making this information available at a global level, the report contributes to establishing a common foundation for action and supports the transition toward more efficient and circular systems.

This resource is intended for national and local governments, development institutions, researchers, private sector actors, and practitioners working in waste management, the circular economy, and urban development.

Waste Wise Cities Tool

Lucia Lopez — 2026-03-23T15:43:21Z

Developed as part of the Waste Wise Cities initiative, the Waste Wise Cities Tool (WaCT) is an operational guide designed to help local governments assess the performance of their municipal waste management systems.

Aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators, this tool enables the measurement of:

Municipal solid waste management (SDG 11.6.1),
Food waste generation (SDG 12.3.1),
As well as resource recovery systems (SDG 12.5.1).

The guide proposes a seven-step methodology for collecting and analyzing reliable data on waste generation, collection, and treatment. It also includes practical tools, such as household surveys, questionnaires on resource recovery chains, and criteria for assessing the environmental conditions of waste management.

Recognizing the diversity of local contexts, WaCT offers an approach tailored to the different levels of development of urban systems and aims to support the continuous improvement of environmental performance.

This resource is intended for local governments, public decision-makers, and all stakeholders seeking a solid foundation to improve waste management and move toward more sustainable and efficient systems.

Waste Management in the Middle East and North Africa

Pauline — 2026-02-18T14:12:33Z

Countries in the MENA region are experiencing increasing strain as a result of rapid population growth, accelerated urban expansion, and higher consumption patterns. According to the World Bank report “Waste Management in the Middle East and North Africa,” the region currently produces more than 155 million tons of waste annually, and this amount is expected to nearly double, reaching approximately 294 million tons by 2050.

The World Bank, as an international financial institution supporting sustainable development worldwide, works closely with governments to strengthen public services, infrastructure, and governance.
This report, published in January 2026, provides an in-depth analysis of waste management systems across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It examines current practices, institutional and financial frameworks, and key challenges affecting the waste management.
The publication highlights the economic, environmental and public health implications of current waste management practices. It also proposes improvements of waste management practices to avoid the costs associated with poor management while realizing efficiency gains and seizing circular economy opportunities.
By providing data, regional comparisons and policy recommendations, the report contributes to ongoing international discussions on waste management systems and supports countries in strengthening long-term resilience, protecting the environment, and improving well-being.