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Becoming zero-waste is an admirable goal for many companies that set out on the mission of creating a more sustainable future. The journey to become zero-waste is quite straightforward, once you know how. But before you understand how to go zero-waste, it is important to know exactly what it means and get rid of any common misconceptions. Only then, will the road be clear on how to get there.
What does it mean?
Zero-waste is the idea that no physical material from your direct operations, ends up as waste and ends up in our ecosystems (e.g. landfill). Put more professionally:
“Zero Waste: The conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health.”
Source: https://zwia.org/zero-waste-definition/
Many of the definitions of the term include the idea that burning waste that would be landfilled is NOT acceptable in a zero-waste strategy. As referenced in the above definition, here is why we agree:
🌎 We have finite resources on this planet. Burning them assumes an infinite mindset, pushing us closer to scarcity.
🛢️ Burning still produces emissions. Scrubbers are only so effective. Toxins (and other GHGs) can still escape into the atmosphere that may not exist if they were never burned.
⭕ It doesn't resemble the idea of true circularity, where everything is turned into something new. Instead, it shortens our time horizons every day we burn more waste.
What should the definition include?
🚯 Nothing gets sent to landfill, incinerators or shipped abroad
💡 Designing for zero-waste occurs in the ideation stage
⤵️ Reduction first, reuse second, repair third, repurpose fourth, recycle last
Common misconceptions
- Going zero-waste is... too expensive.
- Typically, becoming more sustainable means consuming less, which equates to less money spent. Going zero-waste can be one of the lowest-cost methods to reduce your carbon impact. It can begin with small things, like choosing reuse over single-use alternatives, introducing a food waste program and a no print policy. When scaled up across a business, these can equate to substantial financial savings.
- Going zero-waste is... not important, CO2 emissions are more important.
- By virtue of consuming less, the emissions that are produced are reduced too. Whether this is in manufacturing a product, shipping it, using it or disposing of it. Across the board, there are reductions to be had. It is all-important. The trickle effect of going zero-waste percolates into other areas of the carbon reduction that cannot be ignored. Studies from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation have shown that a circular economy can reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 50%! Source: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/completing-the-picture
- Going zero-waste is... too difficult.
- Historically, we would agree. There has always been a gap in data to know the waste footprint of something. It is very difficult to manage what you cannot measure. This is where Scrapp comes in. By making zero-waste easier to understand - through useful data insights and communication tools, businesses can make the first step that much easier and build momentum going forward. Follow our page for more insights.
- Going zero-waste is... just making less of something.
- For example, we strive for making things lighter in transport, to therefore generate less transport emissions. By doing this, we inherently reduce the durability of the material, making the number of use cases for recycling or repurposing it, smaller and smaller. The only use cases that are left require it in large quantities. It perpetuates the need for more and more materials to be made, that ultimately will never be turned into anything new after this final form. We call this downcycling - more on this in another of our blogs!
With the definition and misconceptions are out of the way, let us look at how to do it. See below our 8-point strategy on becoming zero-waste:
1. Find a zero-waste champion to implement your zero-waste strategy ➝ Having these champions is the first step to keep the pressure on about going zero-waste. Get them started with our checklist that you can download here!
2. Track your waste footprint with cross-departmental data points ➝ You can't manage what you can't measure. Use tools like Scrapp, to track your waste footprint to identify areas that can help you go zero-waste. By understanding this first, you can prioritize where you can go zero-waste much easier.
3. Identify within each department to find large waste generation points ➝ With the baseline understanding complete, you can then target the heavy waste generators. By breaking down by department, you can provide more specific and meaningful goals for your teams, rather than generic ones that don't necessarily apply to everyone.
4. Discuss with each department core waste activities and where reductions can be made ➝ Use frameworks to bring to the discussions to life around how you can implement zero-waste within your business. Understand what is feasible, and what isn't. Like many solutions within the sustainability sphere, there is no one-size-fits-all.
5. Set targets based on goals (eg. 2030, 2035, 2040 etc.) ➝ Following these conversations, you are then poised to set targets. By setting goals it gives your organization a north star to work towards and enables interdepartmental engagement. Using Scrapp you can set these targets effortlessly and keep everyone accountable going forward.
6. Start with the lowest hanging fruit that you can control first, then look at third-party suppliers ➝ For example, removing water cups or coffee cups, no printing policy, centralized recycling stations, multi-stream recycling. All small steps that when scaled across an organization have meaningful impact.
7. Bolster your education and outreach efforts through a digital interface ➝ We've proven these efforts can increase recycling participation by nearly double, if you create something that engages people. Waste has always been an afterthought. By switching the narrative and making it a gamified, educational experience, you bring power back to the most important stakeholders - the people disposing of the waste. By digitizing your waste program, you build momentum and allow other departments & facilities to engage with the program.
8. Identify suppliers to handle recycling programs ➝ Finding the right waste hauler or program manager can be a gamechanger on getting you towards your zero waste goals. That said, it takes some time searching for solutions. Using Scrapp can help you profile suppliers that can move you closer to your zero-waste goals, so you can focus on the things that matter.
Why is zero-waste challenging?
Many stakeholders brings friction. Getting their adoption requires you to talk in their language. The cross-ownership of goods within an organization make it difficult to accurately assess who is causing what waste, where it is coming from and how it is being managed. These challenges can be mitigated with better waste data processes. It makes the whole journey of becoming zero-waste, that much easier. Supply chains have their own processes and there are cost implications to changing these. What makes going zero-waste so important, is the fact you are improving efficiencies. That means wasting less and consequently, saving money. While the initial investment of adjusting processes is high, the time horizon of 6 years (by 2030) and beyond, means the return-on-investment can be realized before then, and set zero-waste companies up for success. What is making the business case easier, is the incoming legislation. This is something that will drastically help the movement of zero-waste, but companies acting now are still ahead of the curve.
So the question is, what is the cost of your organization not going zero-waste today?
In embarking on the journey to zero-waste, businesses confront a range of challenges and misconceptions that can seem daunting at first glance. However, as this blog post has shown, with the right understanding and tools, achieving zero-waste is not only feasible but also beneficial on multiple fronts. Zero-waste is more than an environmental goal; it's a commitment to responsible consumption that can significantly reduce a company's carbon footprint. By redefining waste management practices, from tracking waste footprints to enhancing recycling efforts, businesses can uncover new efficiencies and cost savings. Scrapp's platform, with its focus on data insights and communication tools, empowers companies to overcome the traditional barriers to zero-waste, making sustainable practices accessible and actionable.
How can Scrapp help?
Are you embarking on your own zero-waste journey? Our sustainability experts are here to guide you. So, if you need further guidance, personalized strategies, or more details about our digital recycling tools, don't hesitate to reach out. We're committed to helping you achieve your sustainability goals.
You can register for Early Access to Scrapp's platform here.