Zero waste
The goal of the movement is to avoid sending trash to landfills, incinerators, oceans, or any other part of the environment.
[2] It is a "whole systems" approach that aims for a massive change in the way materials flow through society, resulting in no waste.
"[4] Advocates expect that government regulation is needed to influence industrial choices over product and packaging design, manufacturing processes, and material selection.
Findings indicated these areas are often targeted as waste sites because permits are more easily acquired and there was generally less community resistance.
Additionally, within the last five years, more than 400 hazardous waste facilities have received formal enforcement actions for unspecified violations that were considered to be a risk to human health.
Benefits proposed by advocates include: A major issue with landfills is hydrogen sulfide, which is released from the natural decay of waste.
This is causing concern about the ability of landfills to contain these materials and the possibility of these chemicals and drugs making their way into the groundwater and the surrounding environment.
This can help reduce incidents of respiratory diseases and birth defects that are associated with the toxins released from landfills.
Zero waste can also help preserve local environments and potable water sources by preventing pollutants from entering the ecosystem.
[13] A group that would become the Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA) held its first meeting in 2002, chaired by British economist and environmentalist Robin Murray.
"During International Day of Zero Waste, Member States, organizations of the United Nations system, civil society, the private sector, academia, youth and other stakeholders are invited to engage in activities aimed at raising awareness of national, subnational, regional and local zero-waste initiatives and their contribution to achieving sustainable development.
[20][21][22][23] Online shopping orders are often placed in an outer box to contain multiple items for easier transport and tracking.
For example, a 2007 report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that the US recycles at a national rate of 33.5% and includes in this figure composted materials.
A special feature of zero waste as a design principle is that it can be applied to any product or process, in any situation or at any level.
[27] Furthermore, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has worked with GM and other companies for decades to minimize waste through its WasteWise program.
A garden centre in Faversham, UK, has started to prevent plastic plant pots from being passed down to customers.
It also sells plants wrapped in hessia and uses a variety of techniques to prevent handing down (single-use) plastics to customers[30] The waste sent to landfills may be harvested as useful materials, such as in the production of solar energy or natural fertilizer/de-composted manure for crops.
[31] "The success of General Motors in creating zero-landfill facilities shows that zero-waste goals can be a powerful impetus for manufacturers to reduce their waste and carbon footprint," says Latisha Petteway, a spokesperson for the EPA.
At the moment, there is no evidence that EPR will increase reuse, rather than merely moving discard and disposal into private-sector dumping contracts.
The Precautionary Principle is put forward to shift liability for proving new chemicals are safe from the public (acting as guinea pig) to the company introducing them.
Many commercial or industrial companies claim to embrace Zero Waste but usually mean no more than a major materials recycling effort, having no bearing on product redesign.
Examples include Staples, Home Depot, Toyota, General Motors and computer take-back campaigns.
The method, which she developed through years of practicing waste free living and used to reduce her family's annual trash to fit in a pint jar, is now widely used by individuals, businesses and municipalities worldwide.
The Zero Waste Hierarchy describes a progression of policies and strategies to support the zero-waste system, from highest and best to lowest use of materials.
All over the world, in some form or another, a pollution prevention hierarchy is incorporated into recycling regulations, solid waste management plans, and resource conservation programs.
This Hierarchy has been incorporated into all recycling regulations within Canada and is embedded within all resource conservation methods which all government mandated waste prevention programs follow.
[49] The overall goal is set by government but the route for how to achieve it is left open, so stakeholders can coordinate and decide how best to reach it.
[51] In Taiwan, public opinion was essential in changing the attitude of business, who must transform their material use pattern to become more sustainable for Zero Waste to work.
[53] According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, multiple cities have defined what it means to be a Zero Waste community and adopted goals to reach that status.
[58] As of October 2024[update] there are over 200 stores in the UK which sell products either unpackaged or with minimal packaging, and where shoppers can bring their own container to take away their purchases.
