What is Zero Waste?

Definition and Dialogue for

Municipal Zero Waste
Managers

Linda Christopher
Ruth Abbe
 What is “waste”?
Recyclable Paper
Problem
and Cardboard
Materials
18%
23%

Other
Recyclable
Materials
21%

Compostable
Materials Potentially
34% Recyclable
Materials
4%

Figures derived from Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste for the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation, 2001
 Potentially Recyclable Materials
• Materials that don’t have vibrant markets
– Hardback books
– Window glass
– Some plastics
– Textiles
– Asphalt roofing
– Clean gypsum board
 Problem Materials
• Materials that don’t have markets
– Composite materials (things stuck to other things)
– Treated wood
– Some plastics
– Diapers
– Hazardous materials and some electronics
 Example Zero Waste
Practitioners
Berkeley 75% by 2010
Zero waste by 2020
Marin County 80% by 2012
Zero waste by 2025
Oakland 75% by 2010
Zero waste by 2020
Palo Alto 73% by 2011
Zero waste by 2021
San Francisco 75% by 2010
Zero waste by 2020
San Jose 75% by 2013
Zero waste by 2022
"Zero Waste is a goal that is both pragmatic and visionary, to guide
people to emulate sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded
materials are resources for others to use. 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 burn or bury them. Implementing Zero Waste
will eliminate all discharges to land, water or air that may be a threat
to planetary, human, animal or plant health."

-- www.zwia.org
Zero Waste is a philosophy
and a design principle for
the 21st Century;

it is not simply about

putting an end to
landfilling because aiming
for Zero Waste is not an
end-of-pipe solution.

That is why it heralds

fundamental change…
Aiming for zero waste means designing
products and packaging with reuse and
recycling in mind.

It means ending subsidies for wasting. It

means closing the gap between landfill
prices and their true costs.

It means making manufacturers take

responsibility for the entire lifecycle of
their products and packaging.
Zero waste efforts, just like recycling efforts
before, will change the face of solid waste
management in the future.

Instead of managing wastes, we will manage

resources and strive to eliminate waste.”
-- Institute for Local Self-Reliance
Zero Waste…

A primary strategy is to look “upstream” and

redesign products, materials, and systems
of resource use to keep them from entering
the waste stream.
Extended Producer Responsibility

The purpose of EPR is product redesign,

not simply producer responsibility for
physical or financial burden of crush &
grind recycling.
Measuring Success
3) Zero Waste to landfill or incineration – We divert more than
90% of the solid wastes we generate from Landfill and Incineration
from all of our facilities.

No more than 10% of our discards are landfilled. No mixed wastes

are incinerated or processed in facilities that operate above ambient
biological temperatures (more than 200 F.) to recover energy or
materials.

www.grrn.org/zerowaste/business
www.zeroheroes.biz