Frankfurt is stepping up its efforts to prevent waste and has now published a compact "Zero Waste Guide". The guide, which will be published in February 2026, aims to show citizens ways to reduce waste in their everyday lives – not by pointing fingers, but by offering practical suggestions.
Around 280,000 tonnes of household waste are generated in Frankfurt every year. According to estimates by the Department of the Environment, a significant portion of this could be avoided through more conscious consumption, reuse and more consistent waste separation. This is precisely where the new guide comes in. "It's not about radical changes, but about small steps that can add up to big results," says Tina Zapf-Rodríguez, Head of the Climate and Environment Department. The handy booklet is intended to provide a low-threshold introduction to the topic.
The guide is published by the municipal environmental office in cooperation with the oekom association. Its content is based on the so-called "5 Rs" of waste prevention: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rot – i.e. refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle and compost. The order is programmatic: avoidance itself comes first. The guide provides tips on the use of reusable products, the economical use of food, repair and rental options, and local initiatives.
In addition to pure information, the printed edition contains 18 vouchers for Frankfurt shops and initiatives that promote sustainable consumption. The guide is published in A6 format with a print run of 10,000 copies and is available free of charge. It can be obtained from participating partners, at the "Island for Climate and Sustainability" at the Hauptwache, in district libraries, citizens' offices and online.
The guide is part of a broader strategy: Frankfurt launched a zero-waste campaign in 2025 with the aim of reducing per capita residual waste from the current 205 kilograms to 120 kilograms per year. The new guide is intended to make a practical contribution to this – as an invitation to gradually change one's own everyday life.
