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Marrakech – On Tuesday, Fez became one of 24 cities worldwide to win the Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge, securing $1 million in funding along with operational support and additional resources for dedicated staff to formalize the city’s informal waste picker economy.
The historic Moroccan city, home to over 1.1 million residents, was selected from more than 630 applicants across the globe.
Its winning proposal centers on integrating informal waste pickers into recognized cooperatives, equipping them with stable incomes, health coverage, social security, and proper working conditions – while simultaneously improving recycling and waste management across the city.
“Fez will formalize this work – integrating waste pickers into established cooperatives, equipping neighborhoods to sort at source, and reducing illegal dumping sites by at least 30% – improving the livelihoods of hundreds of residents and our city simultaneously,” said Mayor Abdeselem Bekkali in a statement shared exclusively with Morocco World News (MWN).
The problem Fez set out to solve is both environmental and social. Approximately 400 families currently survive by scavenging through trash, working without legal protection, safety equipment, or stable income.
Their presence around waste collection points has created nearly 100 major “black spots” across the city – areas marked by scattered debris, foul odors, rodents, and pests that degrade neighborhoods and damage the city’s image.
“Fez will confront a reality facing many cities: those who recover our waste without the recognition, protection, or income they deserve,” added Bekkali.
To address this, the city adopted a participatory approach, opening dialogue with all relevant stakeholders – cleaning companies, educational and university institutions, large commercial establishments, housing associations, waste pickers themselves, and intermediaries – to jointly develop and implement practical solutions.
The spiritual capital launched a pilot program at seven collection and sorting points across city streets, involving seven housing associations, four educational institutions, and the Private University of Fez (UPF).
During prototyping, waste pickers wore uniforms and used proper sorting tools, marking a visible shift from informal scavenging to organized, professional service. Residents in pilot areas began sorting waste at the source, and black spots in those zones were brought under control.
By the end of 2027, Fez aims to integrate at least 90% of its informal waste pickers into formal cooperatives. The city also targets a 70% reduction in waste black spots citywide, with community participation goals set at 50% for residential associations, 80% for educational institutions, and 90% for large commercial establishments.
A global competition for urban solutions
The winning idea was chosen for its novelty, potential for impact and scale, and the strength of its implementation plans, according to Bloomberg Philanthropies, which evaluated prototypes developed by 50 finalist cities – each of which had received $50,000 and technical guidance to test their concepts with residents before the final selection.
“The most effective city halls are bold, creative, and proactive in solving problems and meeting residents’ needs – and we launched the Mayors Challenge to help more of them succeed,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bloomberg L.P., and three-term mayor of New York City.
The 2025-2026 Mayors Challenge, described as the largest edition of the competition to date, was launched by Bloomberg in October 2024 at Bloomberg CityLab in Mexico City.
In July 2025, municipal leaders from the 50 finalist cities gathered at Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Ideas Camp in Bogotá to develop their concepts alongside experts and peers. The 24 final winners represent 20 countries and more than 35 million residents combined.
An advisory committee composed of international figures – including Admiral Michael G. Mullen, former US Secretary of Transportation Anthony R. Foxx, United Cities and Local Governments Secretary General Emilia Saiz, Lord Norman Foster, and former UN Development Programme Administrator Achim Steiner – worked alongside Bloomberg Philanthropies to determine both finalists and winners.
“The 24 winning city halls show what rebuilding the machinery of government looks like in practice – with systems that anticipate problems before they spike and services that place residents at the center of delivery,” said Admiral Mullen.
Fez joins other winning cities, including Cape Town, which is co-creating waste collection systems with informal settlement residents, and Kanifing in The Gambia, which is forming a youth-led waste collection program to reach underserved areas.
The Mayors Challenge has, across five previous rounds, expanded its impact to 337 cities globally, reaching over 100 million residents.
