The Gov4GreenMed project has officially published its Catalogue on municipal waste management practices and governance models. The catalogue brings together a comprehensive collection of tested, replicable waste management experiences from across the Mediterranean region, offering practical knowledge to support more inclusive and sustainable local policies.
The catalogue responds to a shared challenge faced by Mediterranean municipalities: while waste management is primarily a local responsibility, its environmental, social and economic impacts extend far beyond municipal borders. Rapidly growing waste generation, uneven service quality and limited citizen participation continue to affect many territories. The Gov4GreenMed catalogue has been developed to help local authorities and stakeholders learn from concrete experiences, moving beyond theory to focus on what works in practice.
Inclusive governance and citizen engagement matter as much as technology
Drawing on experiences from Italy, Spain, Tunisia, Jordan and Türkiye, as well as additional Mediterranean contexts, the publication analyses a wide range of initiatives, from integrated municipal waste systems and organic waste composting to reuse circuits, food‑waste reduction schemes and circular‑economy solutions. What makes the catalogue distinctive is its focus on governance and participation: each practice is examined not only in technical terms, but also through the lens of stakeholder involvement, citizen engagement, and the role of women and young people.
Using a structured and comparative methodology, the catalogue assesses each case in terms of its operational design, governance arrangements, participation mechanisms, environmental and social impacts, and its potential for scaling up or replication in other territories. In doing so, it highlights a key finding of the Gov4GreenMed project: effective waste management in the Mediterranean depends as much on inclusive governance and community engagement as it does on technology or infrastructure.
Who is the catalogue intended to?
The catalogue as a practical tool for municipalities, public administrations, policy makers, technical staff and civil society organisations working on waste management and environmental governance. Within Gov4GreenMed, it will directly support the design and implementation of the project’s pilot actions, providing an evidence‑based foundation for participatory processes and local policy development.
With the publication of this catalogue, Gov4GreenMed strengthens its contribution to knowledge sharing and cooperation across the Mediterranean, supporting municipalities in their efforts to transition towards more sustainable, resilient and citizen‑centred waste management systems.
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