Zero Waste
Zero Waste is a whole system approach to resource management centered on reducing, reusing, and recycling.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. Producing recycled materials uses less energy and saves more trees than producing "virgin" materials.
The goal of Zero Waste is to:
- Maximize recycling
- Minimize waste
- Reduce consumption
- Ensure products are made to be reused, repaired, or recycled
- Purchase sustainable products
Zero Waste systems reduce greenhouse gases by:
- Saving energy -- especially by reducing energy consumption associated with extracting, processing, and transporting raw materials and waste
- Reducing and eventually eliminating the need for landfills and incinerators