What is Zero Waste?
In short, zero waste means that instead of throwing things away
in the bin, where they get sent to landfill, we look to reduce,
reuse, repair, recycle and compost what we use so that ultimately
we do not end up throwing anything away in the bin.
The concept of 'zero waste' can be compared to concepts such as
'zero accidents' or 'zero defects' in manufacturing. It is a
target to be strived for rather than an absolute, but should
encourage us to think about waste and resources in more innovative
and efficient ways.
Changing the way we view our waste and resources should
lead to substantial environmental, economic and social benefits and
should be sustainable.
Zero waste is a concept that is spreading throughout the globe,
particularly in America, Canada, New Zealand and Australia and is
based on a vision that by using our resources efficiently we can
eliminate waste.Further information can be found at www.zerowaste.co.nz
.
How can we achieve Zero Waste?
We have adopted a long term vision of zero waste in our waste
strategy. It is a challenging and innovative concept that will need
involvement from many others including government, businesses,
communities and individuals for it to be achieved.
We want to take the lead by raising awareness in the local
community, developing re-use, refurbishment and recycling schemes,
and encouraging community, business and householder
participation.
Zero waste is not something that we can achieve alone as it
involves all sectors of the supply chain from design, production,
manufacturing, packaging, retail and consumption. However, we can
take the lead with a zero waste vision by raising awareness and
encouraging local participation.
By adopting a vision of zero waste within our waste strategy,
our future policies and services will be shaped towards achieving
this vision.
Challenges to Establishing a Zero Waste Strategy
- ‘Zero’ is a target to encourage
innovation - not an ‘absolute’.
- Currently there is no legislative requirement to reduce
waste
- Waste generation processes involve all sectors of society and
are not easily addressed at a local level
- Unknown future - future waste minimisation processes and
technology will change.
- Reaching beyond - it is relatively easy to plan to achieve 50%
recycling & recovery. Innovation is needed to get beyond these
levels.
- Sustaining and building momentum. We need to continue moving
beyond our initial enthusiasm and success.
- Sustainable solutions - we will need a new way of thinking at a
national level to achieve reduced consumerism and increased
environmental stewardship at a local level.
- Resources – investment in new technology and process will be
required to achieve progress.
Zero Waste Projects
We run a number of projects to promote the concept of zero
waste. We have listed details of our two main projects
below:
Zero Waste Lunch Project
Children in several local primary schools bring in a 'zero waste
lunch' once a week. The aim is to have a lunch that only
consists of items that can be reused, recycled or composted.
To find out more, please go to
School Recycling and Waste Activities
Zero Waste Week
In October 2006, we launched the first of our annual zero waste
week challenges. The challenge is to see if you can live for
a week by only using things that can be reused, recycled or
composted so that you are left with nothing to throw away in
the bin. For more information on zero waste week, please go
to
Projects and Campaigns.
