Within boundaries

Zero Waste Europe
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Within boundaries is a podcast by Zero Waste Europe exploring the practical, complex, and essential work of building a zero waste future. Hosted by Giulia Lodi and Nanna Bille Cornelsen, each season follows a single thread, starting with everyday questions and unravelling the systems, science, and politics behind them. Season one traces the hidden journey of our food waste, from our plates to the compost pile, gas plant or, as we see too often, the landfill. We’ll look at how this is impacting our climate and what can be done to slow down accelerating emissions. Within Boundaries is a podcast by Zero Waste Europe | Production by De Praeters.

Episodes

  1. EPISODE 1

    Episode 1: Your food waste has a dirty secret

    You've probably heard that cows burp methane. But what about those forgotten courgettes at the back of your fridge or the oranges left for too long in your fruit bowl? In this first episode, Giulia and Nanna unpack the surprisingly direct link between everyday food waste and one of the most potent (and overlooked) greenhouse gases contributing to the climate crisis: methane. With the help of Enzo Favoino, Chair of the Scientific Committee at Zero Waste Europe, they trace the journey from plate to bin to atmosphere, and ask: why does methane barely feature in the climate conversation when it matters this much? Plus: what can we actually do about it? Resources: Tackling Methane Emissions: Now And In The FutureBriefing for new MEPs: Make Methane MatterNudges Against Food Waste: how to turn smart food habits into everyday practice in European households?Zero Waste to Zero Emissions

    19 min

  2. EPISODE 2

    Episode 2: Sorted, collected… and then what?

    Doorstep collection in Brussels, shared bins in Copenhagen, nothing at all across the border. Food waste collection across Europe is a patchwork, and it's confusing even for people who genuinely try to do the right thing. In this episode, Giulia and Nanna dig into why collection systems vary so wildly, why that variation matters more than you'd think, and what a truly good system looks like. They're joined by Manon Jourdan, Zero Waste Europe's Waste Prevention Manager, and Steffen Walk, Scientific Officer at the European Compost Network, to walk through the full journey from separate collection to composting and biogas production. Resources: Bio-waste generation in the EU: Current capture levels and future potential – Second editionGuidance for municipalities on the best-performing methods to separately collect bio-wasteFighting climate change, one bio-waste bin at a time – how the #ForkToFarm project supports Montenegro’s environmental transitionLIFE BIOBEST video

    26 min

  3. EPISODE 3

    Episode 3: Cooling the planet, one banana peel at a time

    The EU has required separate food waste collection since January 2024. Yet in 2024, nine EU countries still collected less than 10% of it. So where does the rest go? In this final episode of the season, Giulia and Nanna follow the food waste that falls through the cracks: into incinerators, into landfills, and into a much bigger global picture. Janek Vähk, Zero Waste Europe's Zero Pollution Policy Manager, explains what happens to methane when organic waste is buried or burned, and what policy can do about it. Then Mariel Vilella, Director of the Global Climate Programme at GAIA (Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives), zooms out to show how the rest of the world is grappling with the same problem. Resources: NABU study on incineration in GermanyVideo - Material Recovery Biological TreatmentAddressing Landfill Methane Emissions with Environmental JusticeSeven Key Solutions to Landfill Methane

    25 min
  • 3 Episodes

About

Within boundaries is a podcast by Zero Waste Europe exploring the practical, complex, and essential work of building a zero waste future. Hosted by Giulia Lodi and Nanna Bille Cornelsen, each season follows a single thread, starting with everyday questions and unravelling the systems, science, and politics behind them. Season one traces the hidden journey of our food waste, from our plates to the compost pile, gas plant or, as we see too often, the landfill. We’ll look at how this is impacting our climate and what can be done to slow down accelerating emissions. Within Boundaries is a podcast by Zero Waste Europe | Production by De Praeters.

Information

  • Creator
    Zero Waste Europe
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    3
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Zero Waste Europe
  • Show Website
    Within boundaries