Zero waste

Zero Waste describes a strategy for waste avoidance and resource utilization.

The term "Zero Waste" refers to a comprehensive concept and a practical strategy aimed at eliminating waste by redesigning the life cycles of resources. All products and materials should be reused, repaired, composted, or recycled instead of being disposed of in landfills or the environment. This approach goes beyond conventional recycling and calls for a fundamental shift from the linear economy, where resources are extracted, used, and thrown away, to a circular economy, where materials continuously circulate through systems of reuse and regeneration. The most common definition, represented by the Zero Waste International Alliance, describes "Zero Waste" as the conservation of all resources through responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products and materials, without incineration and without inputs into soil, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health.

This concept, which pursues both ethical and practical goals, serves as a guide for individuals, businesses, and communities to mimic sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded materials become resources for others. The essential principles of "Zero Waste" include, among others, waste avoidance, consumption reduction, and promoting reuse and recycling. Through these approaches, "Zero Waste" can provide significant ecological, economic, and social benefits, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, conserving natural resources, and improving public health.