Zero Waste

Zero Waste

• Zero Waste is a philosophy and a design principle for the 21^st Century. It includes 'recycling' but goes beyond recycling by taking a 'whole system' approach to the vast flow of resources and waste through human society.

• To make recycling work for everyone, we need to buy products made from the materials we recycle. This reduces the need to utilize non-renewable resources by reusing materials that have already been consumed.

• Zero Waste means designing and managing products and processes to reduce the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources and not bum or bury them.

• Producing recycled materials uses less energy and saves more trees than producing "virgin" materials.

• Implementing Zero Waste will help reduce discharges to land, water or air that may be a threat to planetary, human, animal or plant health and imitate sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded materials are resources for others to use.

• The zero waste approach seeks to maximize recycling, minimize waste, reduce consumption and ensures that products are made to be reused, repaired or recycled back into nature or the marketplace.

• Zero Waste systems reduce greenhouse gases by :

1. Saving energy - especially by reducing energy consumption associated with extracting, processing and transporting raw materials and waste.

2. Reducing and eventually eliminating the need for landfills and incinerators

Goal of Zero Waste

• The goal of Zero Waste is to :

1. Maximize recycling

2. Minimize waste

3. Reduce consumption

4. Ensure products are made to be reused, repaired or recycled

5. Purchase sustainable products