Background As a result of the global increase of waste, municipalities must regularly upgrade their waste-treatment facilities. Despite the improved performance and increased capacity of treatment facilities, the impact of waste on the environment remains important. Objectives The LIFE project aimed to reduce the waste flow and its impact on the environment in the Deux Sèvres Department by setting incentives at different stages of consumption to influence public behaviour in order to reduce waste at source, avoid buying and abandoning. Such a process was to be carried out in conjunction with the departmental waste office and socio-economic stakeholders. The project aimed to create a local dynamic and to allow for the improved implementation of previous actions. Results The IDEAL79 project yielded positive results both qualitatively and quantitatively. At the end of the project the production of residual waste had fallen from 314kg per year per inhabitant in 2005 to 283kg per year per inhabitant in 2008 – a decrease of 9.9% in three years. This represents significant cost savings: a decrease of around 11 000 tonnes corresponds to a saving of around €1m (€ 98 per treated tonne). Main activities included : 1) Training sessions to raise awareness and train actors in the department One of the key actions of the programme was training, which targeted six different public sectors: elected representatives, agents of collectivities, associations, teaching establishments, the population and the economic actors (with about 3 200 people participating). 2) A communication campaign to raise awareness of actors in the region In total, 24 communication tools were created that give information about the issues and the project. 3) A sustainable consumption incentive operation (purchasing eco-products/eco-services) This activity involved the distribution of an eco-consumer’s guide to 160 000 homes in the department, including 69 price reduction vouchers for 119 products and services having been defined as contributing to the prevention of quantity and toxicity of waste (eco-products and eco-services) as well as an IDEAL shopping list of products that reduce quantity and toxicity of consumer waste. Thirty-two stores committed themselves to placing the eco-products on their shelves in a prominent position. At the end of this operation, sales of eco-products increased by 19% on average in the large supermarkets. Nine families participated in the eco-citizen family project, aiming to buy eco-products and services that reduced the size of their waste bin and thereby to act as good examples. After 12 months, an average reduction of 34% in the eco-citizen families’ residual household waste production was recorded (a decrease from an average of 350kg to 230kg within one year). 4) Establishing and highlighting alternatives in design, manufacturing, distribution, consumption, use and -abandon that generate less waste. This activity included the preparation and distribution of 160 000 “Guides to repair and re-use, or the nine lives of your purchases”, which lists second-hand and repaired products as well as 500 companies specialising in repair, re-use and rental. In addition, 3 451 compost facilities have been distributed to households in order to promote composting, and a Corporate Commitment Charter, developed for those committed to supporting the prevention of waste, has been signed by 125 stakeholders, including 10 associations, 32 supermarkets, 10 families, 68 shopkeepers and 5 service enterprises. At the beginning and the end of the project, two environmental awareness studies were carried out in Deux-Sèvres. They show a rise in the acquired practices and knowledge level of the IDEAL79 programme by Deux-Sèvres inhabitants. Thus, 72% of people surveyed said that they had heard about at least one action of the project and were able to recall it. While these results are encouraging, long-term change in behaviour requires a high level of raised consciousness. For this reason, CAN and its partner SMITED (Joint Syndicate of Treatment and Elimination of Waste in Deux-Sèvres) are continuing their involvement in waste reduction in Deux-Sèvres. IDEAL79 was requested to present its waste reduction programme at several conferences. Following these presentations, IDEAL79 has been contacted regularly to supply methodological elements for implementing certain actions. Among the agreed actions by the interested towns are the production of a repair guide, the training of intermediaries and incentives for sustainable consumption. The beneficiary planned to present the project to two national conferences in 2008, including the CNIID conference in Paris. IDEAL 79 has a great potential for being adopted in other areas. In fact, French legislation currently imposes a reduction in waste production, and local public administrations are looking for successful examples of waste reduction programmes like IDEAL79. Within the framework of the LIFE-Environment programme, IDEAL79 is exchanging experiences with the Biala-Podlaska region in Poland. The objective of this exchange is to assess the transferability of the IDEAL79 programme beyond the borders of Deux-Sèvres. As a result measures for the management and reduction of waste have been introduced in Biala-Podlaska. The Polish delegation has a strong interest in setting up a European waste reduction programme. IDEAL79 is providing technical support to its Polish partner, including the provision of a methodological kit in June 2008. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Communication Plan (see "Read more" section). This project has been selected as one of the 17 "Best" LIFE Environment projects in 2008-2009.