Zero Waste Communities

Since 1999, 51 of the 71 (70%) Local Authorities in New Zealand have adopted a Zero Waste policy - most are aiming for Zero Waste by 2015. Other communities that have embraced zero waste since then include Toronto, Calgary, Halifax, Oakland, San Francisco, Seattle, Boulder (Colorado), Canberra (Australia), and the County of San Bernardino in California.

Communities in British Columbia are moving forward in a big way. The following have all adopted zero waste:

Regional District of Nanaimo, Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, Greater Vancouver Regional District, Central Kootenay Regional District, Central Okanagan Regional District, Cowichan Valley Regional District, Sunshine Coast Regional District, Cities of Nelson, Kelowna, Trail, Grand Forks and Rossland.

Zero waste is being discussed in Saskatchewan too. As part of the development of Saskatoon’s Waste and Recycling Plan, the advisory groups are recommending that zero waste be one of the principles on which the plan is based.

Communities that adopt zero waste try to provide citizens with options for applying the 3Rs. Many of them have goals to eliminate landfill waste by a certain year. To meet aggressive waste reduction targets, several elements are useful:

• Public education programs — the public must also be committed to the zero waste goal
• Landfill bans for materials that have ‘homes’ elsewhere
• Diversion programs for organics — organics represent a large fraction of the waste stream that doesn’t have obvious industry stewards. Organics also can be handled locally in nearly all cases.
• Support for Extended Producer Responsibility programs (and advocacy for more) — zero waste requires support from all sectors to succeed.

(Source: February 2007 WasteWatch)

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