ZERO WASTE

Zero Waste is a visionary solution for a sustainable future that proposes practical ways to redesign how resources and materials flow through society.

Currently, those responsible for producing the products and packaging that become waste are not the ones who pay for waste disposal and incineration, recycling and litter pickup. In fact these industrial centers have very little economic incentive to reduce or eliminate their waste output. Powered by a transformation of the current industrial system the Zero Waste plan holds producers responsible for their products and packaging, encouraging economically and environmentally sensible production practices.

The goal of Zero Waste is a commonsense alternative to the current waste disposal system: to promote clean production, prevent pollution, and create communities in which all products are designed to be cycled safely back into the economy or environment.

The Zero Waste plan is both a "back end" solution that maximizes recycling and minimizes waste, and a design principle for the future that ensures that products are made to be reused, repaired or recycled back into nature or the marketplace. Zero Waste embodies approaches that enable rapid waste reduction outcomes, breakthrough strategies rather than incremental change.

Zero Waste plans have been adopted by the State of California, the Cities of San Francisco, Seattle, and Toronto, and around the world, especially by local governments in New Zealand and Australia. A handful of private companies have also adopted Zero Waste plans, including Xerox, Toyota, Honda, Pillsbury, Hewlett-Packard and Sony Electronics.

For more information about zero waste, please visit the Grassroots Recycling Network.