Zero-Waste-Agentur Berlin is a Berlin-based initiative focused on reducing waste and advancing the city’s transition from a linear waste system to a circular economy. The agency was formally founded on 18 July 2023 and is housed within the Berliner Stadtreinigungsbetriebe (BSR), with offices at Rollbergstraße 28a in Berlin, Germany. It was created from the city’s 2020–2030 waste management concept and the Zero Waste framework adopted by the state of Berlin.
The agency’s mission is straightforward: “null Verschwendung,” or zero waste. In practice, that means supporting waste prevention, reuse, and high-quality recycling while making circular-economy practices more visible and easier to adopt across the city. It works with a broad range of actors, including residents, visitors, district administrations, politics, businesses, science, initiatives, associations, and the housing sector. The organisation positions itself as a convener and mediator, bringing together different stakeholders to strengthen Berlin’s resource-oriented circular economy.
Its activities include thematic task forces, information work on zero-waste initiatives and offers, a funding guide for local actors, public outreach, and surveys intended to track progress. One of its most visible initiatives is the annual Zero-Waste-Aktionswochen in Berlin, launched in 2024, which are designed to make zero-waste practices tangible and to showcase existing local actors. The agency also runs the Zero Waste Award, including calls for participation for events.
Led by Meike Al-Habash, the agency describes itself as an in-content independent unit within BSR. Its work is local in scope, but it has a clear policy role in shaping Berlin’s citywide approach to waste prevention and circularity.