There was a healthy dialog on the Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA)
listserve about a definition of Zero Waste, which I have NOT compiled. If
anyone would like the comments after that discussion, I compiled those
comments for the ZWIA Standards Subcommittee to review, and would be happy
to forward to you for your information.
The latest draft definition that's being discussed now by the ZWIA Planning
Group is:
"Zero Waste means designing and managing products and processes to conserve
and recover all resources, and not burn or bury them. Implementing Zero
Waste will eliminate all discharges to land, water or air that may be a
threat to planetary, human, animal or plant health. Zero Waste is a goal
that is both pragmatic and visionary, to guide people to emulate
sustainable natural cycles, where all outputs are inputs for other processes."
Gary
At 12:54 PM 10/20/2004, you wrote:
Hi all,
Gary told me about the conversation. Can someone send me the old e-mails,
or some kind of digest on this subject? When I started this center we had a
lot of discussions. I am making a three year plan, and promotional
materials, and could use the insight of this group on the promotion of zero
waste...the wording, how to explain it to people of various backgrounds and
of course what the #%$## it is :-)
Thomas Vinson-Peng
Southwest Network for Zero Waste
University of Texas
10100 Burnet Rd. CEER-R 7100
Austin, TX 78758
Phone: 512/232-7149
Fax: 512/471-1720
www.zeroWasteNetwork.org
tvinson@no.address <mailto:tvinson@no.address>
<http://www.zerowastenetwork.org/> The Southwest Network for Zero Waste
<http://www.zerowastenetwork.org/> is a proud member of the National
Pollution Prevention Resource Exchange http://www.p2rx.org
-----Original Message-----
From: Eric Lombardi [mailto:eric@no.address]
Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2004 12:54 PM
To: greenyes@no.address
Subject: [greenyes] what is ZW?
Hi all,
I just pulled this off the website of Earthlife Africa . and it's great!
http://www.earthlife.org.za <http://www.earthlife.org.za/>
Eric
"Much of the challenge then and still continuing is the perception that
Zero Waste is a goal. If Zero Waste is not a goal, what then is it?
Zero Waste is a process - a way of thinking that seeks to change how
society manages its natural resources and products by eliminating the
use of toxic substances at production while reclaiming those materials
that can be recycled, reused or composted. To achieve these objectives
Zero Waste promotes the use of non-toxic alternatives by influencing
changes in industrial processes and products through supportive policies
and legislation that may include incentives for the reduction,
recycling, reuse and composting of reclaimed materials."
Eric Lombardi
Executive Director
Eco-Cycle, Inc
Boulder, CO
303-444-6634
www.ecocycle.org
Gary Liss
916-652-7850
Fax: 916-652-0485
www.garyliss.com
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