Zero Waste Academy: Community Zero Waste Program Implementation Course is an immersive training program designed to give participants the tools to implement a Zero Waste program in their respective cities and communities. Designed by GAIA Asia Pacific and Mother Earth Foundation (MEF), the traditional in-person two-week workshop covered a mix of lectures, hands-on exercises, and writing sessions. It is specially designed for project implementers and key stakeholders within a community.
With the physical limitations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, GAIA AP and MEF translated this in-person workshop into an online course that was developed and launched in 2020 called the Zero Waste Academy Online (ZWAO). With the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, the second cohort of Zero Waste Academy Online was implemented through a hybrid of setup of instruction—with online sessions and in-person workshops.
Building on the success of the previous iterations of the program, GAIA Asia Pacific and Mother Earth Foundation, continues to implement a this program with a hybrid mode of delivery, where best practices, case studies, and expertise on Zero Waste from the Asia Pacific region are presented in a strategic blend of online lectures, virtual and in-person study tours, simulations, up-to-date literature, and real-life examples that will provide participants with the essential knowledge and toolkit to implement their Zero Waste program.
The Zero Waste Academy (ZWA) is an open online learning platform designed by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) Asia Pacific and Mother Earth Foundation (MEF), that aims to provide accessible and relevant courses to participants interested to learn and implement Zero Waste programs and campaigns. Today, the Zero Waste Academy offers a growing range of courses, including those focused on organics management, reuse systems, zero waste islands, the global plastics treaty, anti-incineration advocacy, and several more in development.
