Zero waste strategy
Introduction
Zero Waste[1] (in English: zero waste)[2] is a set of principles focused on waste prevention that encourages the redesign of resource life cycles to reuse all products. The objective of this movement is to avoid sending garbage to landfills, landfills, open disposal, incinerators, bodies of water or the ocean. Currently, only 9% of the world's plastic is recycled.[3] In a zero waste system, the material will be reused until the optimal level of consumption is reached. The definition adopted by the Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA) is:.
Zero Waste refers to waste prevention as opposed to end-of-pipe waste management.[4] It is a systemic approach that aims to radically change the way materials flow through society, so that no waste is produced.[4] The concept of zero waste goes beyond waste disposal through reduction, reuse and recycling. It focuses on restructuring distribution and production systems to reduce waste.[5] Zero Waste provides guidelines to continually work on eliminating waste.[4].
Proponents hope that government regulation will be necessary to influence industrial decisions about product and packaging design, manufacturing processes, and material selection.[6] They also claim that waste disposal reduces pollution and costs due to the reduced need for raw materials.
History
Beginnings
The movement rose to prominence and peaked between 1998 and 2002, and has since moved from theory to action, focusing on how a zero-waste community is structured and behaves. The birth of organizations such as the Zero Waste International Alliance,[7] Eco-Cycle, GrassRoots Recycling Network and Global Zero Waste,[8] carry out training and awareness activities on this type of practices.[9].
The California Integrated Waste Management Board set a zero waste goal in 2001.[10] The City and County of San Francisco's Department of Environment set the same goal in 2002,[11] which led to the city's Mandatory Recycling and Composting Ordinance in 2009.[12] With its ambitious zero waste goal and policies, San Francisco achieved a record diversion rate from 80% in 2010,[13] the highest of any North American city. The city received a perfect score in the waste category in Siemens' US and Canadian Green Cities Index, making it the greenest city in North America according to the latter company.[14].