Become a certified Zero Waste Trainer: join the movement to lead change across Europe
Five new certified trainers recently joined the group, making it now 31 certified Zero Waste Trainers, across 12 European countries. Their expertise ranges from zero waste events to circular solutions consultation, covering both in the public and private sector.
Why certification matters
As green and zero waste claims increasingly require third party verification, ensuring that trainers are skilled in both subject matter and teaching principles has become essential. Certifying trainers through Zero Waste Europe’s rigorous programme, conducted by expert assessors, ensures that these trainers can effectively facilitate workshops and seminars using proven educational principles. This not only boosts the credibility of zero waste practices but also enhances the ability of communities, businesses, and institutions to implement them successfully.
Inside the Zero Waste Trainer programme
To become a certified trainer, applicants must complete the programme, which focuses on four key modules:
The basics of learning and memory
Learning motivation
Addressing misconceptions
Learning assessment
The programme doesn’t teach zero waste concepts but rather how to teach them effectively, targeting individuals who already have substantial zero waste knowledge. It emphasises educational psychology principles, equipping trainers to deliver content in ways that enhance learning and engagement. The training often surprises even experienced trainers, as it challenges traditional teaching by focusing on what educational research shows to be most effective.
Zero Waste Trainer programme is one of the two curricula developed jointly by Zero Waste Europe, Zero Waste Estonia (formerly Let’s Do It Foundation), Ekologi brez meja, Tallinn University and Estonian University of Life Sciences in the frame of the BEZWA (Building European Zero Waste Academy) project in 2020-2022 with the general aim to boost the zero waste expertise in Europe.
Zero Waste Estonia (formerly Let’s Do It Foundation), which is currently the only organisation offering the Zero Waste Trainer, ensures that all their trainers are certified or hold a national adult educator qualification to guarantee high-quality educational services to municipalities, business and other educational institutions.
Kadri Kalle, head trainer and co-creator of the programme, explains: “One of our core goals is to help communities adopt zero waste practices by using teaching principles that truly support learning. Many participants are surprised by the educational psychology principles we emphasise, as they are rarely applied in conventional training. Even experienced trainers who go through the programme, say that they find new angles and perspectives into not just teaching zero waste, but learning in general.”
You can read about the impressions of participants from previous Trainer programmes here and here.
The role of Mission Zero Academy
Mission Zero Academy, which provides certification for Zero Waste Cities and Business certification and trains mentors and auditors, sees the Zero Waste Trainer certification as an additional quality label for the European zero waste experts.
Kaisa Karjalainen from Mission Zero Academy says: “A zero waste journey will inevitably include a learning curve for any organisation embarking on it. Our mentors will need to be able to guide them also in that, whether it is via organising training or providing more ad hoc learning moments. The Zero Waste Trainer Certification is a guarantee for us that the mentor will be also an effective trainer and for the organisation, they know they will get high quality training from the same person they already know.”
Beyond the training: certification and community
After completing the programme, applicants must demonstrate their skills in practice and undergo interviews with experienced trainers to achieve certification. Once certified, trainers join a growing community where they can exchange resources, share experiences, and collaborate through regular events and webinars.
Certified Zero Waste Trainers, together with accredited Zero Waste Cities and Business Mentors and Auditors, can be found on this website (note that the page is currently being updated, so all certified Trainers are not yet visible in there).
Get involved
If you are interested in becoming a Zero Waste Trainer, sign up to express your interest here and we will notify you once the registration opens. The next international online training will be opened in early 2025. For more information about the Trainer certification process, check out here.
