Zero waste is a process and a philosophy that involves a redesign of products and consumption, so that all material goods can be reused or recycled—or not needed at all. This includes reduced raw materials, energy consumption, and water use. 

Zero Waste has a core principal of sustainable materials management and values the following: 

• Use materials and resources in the most productive way with an emphasis on using less. 
• Reduce toxic chemical and environmental impact through the materials lifecycle.
• Assure we have sufficient resources to meet todays needs and those of the future. 

Benefits of a Zero Waste System:

The social benefits: zero waste redesign emphasizes non-toxic which reduces exposure to harmful pollutants. Conserving resources also has social justice benefits. By conserving resources such as oil, minerals, and fresh water reduces the strain on the communities vying for them. 

Linear verses Circular

In a linear economy, is often summarized by "take, make, and waste". The raw materials are taken from the earth, made into a product, and then wasted after a single-use because they have been designed and manufactured that way. 

A circular economy (also known as the closed-loop system) is a model of production and consumption which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and  recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. See the diagram below which shows the reuse, refurbishing, and recycling systems and how they extend the life of materials. 

Watch this short video to learn more about the difference between linear and circular economy. 

Waste Reduction Hierarchy

The waste hierarchy is a guide to manage waste in an environmental and socially responsible way. It describes a progression of policies and strategies to support a Zero Waste system.

Source reduction is at the top as the best solution. Followed by reuse and repair as the second best option to extend the life of products. Recycling and composting is lower on the diagram because those systems consume additional resources to process into new products. 

The City of Cupertino recognizes the need for ambitious climate action. Getting to Zero Waste will help reduce the City's greenhouse gas emissions. As such, we created a chapter of the Climate Action Plan 2.0 dedicated to Zero Waste. This document is currently in draft form. View the entire plan at cupertino.org/climateaction. 

What is a Zero Waste Plan? 

The City has conducted a Waste Characterization Study in 2018/19 which analyses the waste that is being generated and how it is sorted. Based off the results from that study and industry knowledge, the City has looked for opportunities to improve. 

This plan has methods that fall under six categories: 

Policy- Policies are needed to incentivize behavior change. This includes product bans on hard to recycle materials.

Programs- New and expanding programs help increase access and ease of reducing, reusing, repairing, and recycling.

Infrastructure- Different infrastructure may be needed to help divert waste. One example is sending our garbage waste to a recovery facility so any incorrectly sorted items have a second chance to get collected and recycled. 

Education and outreach- Continuing education to students and the community at large is a huge emphasis in this plan. Translating materials if needed and exploring new opportunities is essential to help Cupertino residents and businesses make smart consumption choices. 

Equity impacts- Not putting undue burden on the people is a top priority as we are facing uncertain times. We also look for increased job opportunities and workplace safety within the waste industry. 

Studies- Continuing to examine and analyze opportunities as new technology is developed and waste habits change over time is a going to help Cupertino to be a leader in the zero waste world. 

Read the Zero Waste plan starting on page 94 of the Climate Action Plan 2.0. 

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

Also known as product stewardship, EPR places a shared responsibility for end-of-life product management on the producers, and all entities involved in the product chain, instead of the public. Extended producer responsibility encourages product design changes that minimize a negative impact on human health and the environment at every stage of the product’s lifecycle.

Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP)

EPP is a commitment to purchasing products that are less harmful to the environment and to human health. It includes buying goods that have a high percentage of recycled content, avoiding hazardous materials, and taking into consideration the full life cycle of goods and services.

Green design and green building are also important components of zero waste.