Phonetic Pronunciation: VIZ-uh-buhl muh-NOR-uh-dee

Definition:

The zero waste movement aims to reduce the amount of waste we produce. It emphasizes the 5 R’s: refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle to encourage us to rethink our consumption habits and move towards a more sustainable world.

History:

The idea of zero waste is not necessarily new, in fact ancient civilizations would be surprised at how much waste is normal in our everyday lives. The movement began in force in California, with the salvaging factory called Urban Ore. Their idea was to divert waste from landfills and instead recycle it to reuse in the community. To this day, the factory diverts more than 8,000 tons of garbage from the landfill each year.

Current Usage:

Currently, the movement has reframed recycling as a last resort and encourages “circularity”, where waste is reduced from the point of creation. To put it simply, all products, packaging, and food waste should be designed in such a way that it can be repurposed and reused. The energy to produce these products should also be from renewable sources, such as solar or wind.

Examples:

Situational Example: Sarah brings her reusable bags to the store and composts her fruit and vegetable waste because she wants to live a zero waste lifestyle.

Sentence Example: "Using materials from recycled products is a popular zero waste manufacturing strategy."

Perspective:

1. A popular perspective of the zero waste movement focuses on people reducing the amount of trash that they produce in their daily lives. This can be from recycling, bringing their own containers, or composting food scraps.

2. Some members of the zero waste movement argue that real changes to our impact on the environment is not the responsibility of the individual, but is a systemic, political, and economic challenge. The amount of waste and pollution produced by a factory far outweighs what any single person can reduce through recycling.

Did You Know?

Recycling plastic takes 88% less energy than making it from raw materials.

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Sources: 

What Is Zero Waste? Learn About the Movement & Why it's Important  

How Communities Have Defined Zero Waste | US EPA  

70 Interesting Recycling Facts  

The 5 Rs of Recycling: A Guide to Reducing Waste

Resources:

5 Biggest Myths and Facts about Zero Waste Lifestyle – cooleeme