European Week for Waste Reduction

A Shared Commitment to a Sustainable Metropolis

From 15 November to 20 December 2025, Lille Metropole (MEL) invites everyone to take part in the European Week for Waste Reduction (Semaine Européenne de Réduction des Déchets - SERD) — a key moment of mobilisation in the metropole’s waste prevention strategy. 

The Metropole oversees the prevention, collection, sorting, treatment, and recovery of household waste across its 95 municipalities, serving nearly 1.2 million inhabitants. Through the SERD, Lille Metropole aims to raise awareness and inspire long-term change, reaffirming its ambition to build a greener, more circular metropolis.

Reducing Waste During the Festive Season

The end of the year is often a time of abundance — gifts, decorations, and generous meals. Yet it also means an increase in waste. For the 2025 edition, Lille Metropole and around forty partner municipalities have chosen to focus on reducing festive waste, offering practical and creative solutions to make celebrations more responsible.

• Workshops, events, and challenges will help residents rethink habits:
• Tour of the energy recovery centre;
• Repair cafés and DIY sessions;
• Public screenings and talks on waste prevention;
• Etc.

The detailed programme is available in the SERD 2025 brochure.

To support residents in reducing waste, practical tools and services are available via the “MEL et VOUS” app, offering step-by-step guidance towards a more sustainable way of living. 

Tackling Food Waste: A Priority for the Metropole

Food waste remains one of the major environmental challenges of our time. In 2024, Lille Metropole generated 142,000 tonnes of food waste, representing 119 kg per inhabitant. Food waste accounts for 3% of France’s total greenhouse gas emissions. To address this, Lille Metropole has committed to halving food waste by 2030, in line with France’s Anti-Waste and Circular Economy Law (AGEC). 

In 2025, Lille Metropole published the Anti-Waste Directory, and launched the « Réseau pour Éviter le Gaspillage Alimentaire » (REGAL) — a network bringing together local stakeholders to share expertise, coordinate action, and promote a more responsible food system. 

A Long-Term Strategy for Waste Reduction

Beyond this week of mobilisation, the reduction of waste is a long-term commitment. In June 2023, Lille Metropole adopted its second waste reduction programme, setting the 2030 target: 50 kg less waste per inhabitant by 2030.

To achieve this, the Lille Metropole is focusing on six main areas:

1. Awareness and education – communication campaigns, trainings, and pilot projects.
2. Local management of bio-waste – through composting and neighbourhood initiatives.
3. Fighting food waste – particularly in collective catering.
4. Giving objects a second life – by promoting repair, reuse, and textile collection points.
5. Encouraging responsible consumption – reducing plastic use and promoting low-impact lifestyles.
6. Leading by example – through waste reduction within Lille Metropole’s own facilities and events.

The 2025 Waste Reduction Guide and the directory of reuse actors provide practical advice and local contacts for everyone committed to reducing waste. 

Through the European Week for Waste Reduction, Lille Metropole reaffirms its commitment to a sustainable, creative, and united territory. By mobilising citizens, municipalities, and local partners, Lille Metropole demonstrates how European metropolises can act as laboratories for the ecological transition — translating European objectives into concrete, everyday action.

The initiatives launched through the SERD and Lille Metropole’s long-term waste reduction strategy embody the principles of the European Green Deal and the Circular Economy Action Plan, showing how local innovation can contribute to a broader European vision of sustainability, resilience, and solidarity.