Context
All over the world, in some form or another, a pollution prevention hierarchy is incorporated into recycling regulations, solid waste management plans, and resource conservation programs that include recovery prior to landfill. Many organizations focused on this 4th R instead of the top of the hierarchy resulting in costly systems designed to destroy materials instead of systems designed to reduce environmental impact and properly manage resources. Because of this, along with other resource destruction systems that have been emerging over the past few decades, the Zero Waste International Alliance adopted the only internationally peer reviewed Zero Waste Hierarchy that focuses on the first 3 Rs Reduce, Reuse and Recycle (including Compost).
Purpose of Hierarchy
The Zero Waste Hierarchy describes a progression of policies and strategies to support the Zero Waste system, from highest and best to lowest use of materials. It is designed to be applicable to all audiences, from policy-makers to industry and the individual. It aims to provide more depth to the internationally recognized 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle); to encourage policy, activity and investment at the top of the hierarchy; and to provide a guide for those who wish to develop systems or products that move us closer to Zero Waste. It enhances the Zero Waste definition by providing guidance for planning and a way to evaluate proposed solutions. Users are encouraged to develop policies and actions starting at the top of the hierarchy.
RETHINK / REDESIGN
RETHINK / REDESIGN
Systemic change to move towards a closed loop** model; redesign of systems to avoid needless and/or wasteful consumption. Actions that address the root causes of the current linear use of materials.
RETHINK / REDESIGN
- Consider if a purchase is necessary and reject unnecessary, unsolicited items
- Design and purchase products from reused, recycled or sustainably-harvested renewable, non-toxic materials to be durable, repairable, reusable, fully recyclable or compostable, and easily disassembled
- Shift funds and financial incentives to support a Circular Economy** over the harvesting and use of virgin natural resources
- Enact new incentives for cyclical use of materials, and disincentives for wasting
- Facilitate change in how end users’ needs are met from “ownership” of goods to “shared” goods and provision of services
- Support and expand systems where product manufacturing considers the full life-cycle of their product in a way that follows the Zero Waste Hierarchy and moves towards more sustainable products and processes. Producers take back their products and packaging in a system that follows the Zero Waste Hierarchy.
- Identify and phase out materials that cause problems for Closed Loop Systems*
- Facilitate and implement policies and systems to encourage and support Local Economies*
- Re-consider purchasing needs and look for alternatives to product ownership
- Provide information to allow for informed decision-making
- Eliminate or avoid systems that drive needless consumption
Reduce
REDUCE
Measures taken to reduce the quantity and toxicity of resources, products, packaging and materials as well as the adverse impacts on the environment and human health (while reduction is noted here it is acknowledged that people’s basic needs should be met; not everybody needs to reduce).
REDUCE
- Plan consumption and purchase of perishables to eliminate or avoid discards due to spoilage and non-consumption
- Implement Sustainable Purchasing** that supports social and environmental objectives as well as local markets
- Minimize quantity and toxicity of materials used
- Minimize ecological footprint required for product, product use, and service provision
- Choose products that maximize the usable lifespan and opportunities for continuous reuse
- Choose products that are made from materials that are easily and continuously recycled
- Prioritize the use of edible food for people
- Prioritize the use of edible food for animals
Reuse
Reuse
Actions by which products or components are used again for the same or similar purpose for which they were conceived. Actions that support the continued use of products in ways that retain the value, usefulness and function.
Reuse
- Maximize reuse of materials and products
- Maintain, repair or refurbish to retain Value**, usefulness and function
- Remanufacture with disassembled parts; dismantle and conserve “spare” parts for repairing and maintaining products still in use
- Repurpose products for alternative uses
Recycle / Compost
Recycle / Compost
Actions by which discards are mechanically reprocessed into products or materials or biologically processed to return to the soil.
Recycle / Compost
- Support and expand systems to keep materials in their original product loop and to protect the full usefulness of the materials
- Maintain diversion systems that allow for the highest and best use of materials, including organics
- Recycle and use materials for as high a purpose as possible
- Develop resilient local markets and uses for collected materials wherever possible
- Provide incentives to create clean flows of compost and recycling feedstock
- Support and expand composting as close to the generator as possible (prioritizing home, on site or local composting)
- Consider industrial composting whenever home/decentralized composting is not possible, or if local conditions require/allow anaerobic digestion
Residuals Management
Residuals Management
Handling of discards that were wasted in a way that does not threaten the environment or human health. Analyze what was wasted and why.
Residuals Management
- Examine materials that remain and use this information to refine the systems to rethink, reduce, reuse, and recycle in order to prevent further discards.
- Ensure minimization of impacts by means of biological stabilization of fermentable materials. Recover energy using only systems that operate at Biological Temperature and Pressure**
- Encourage the preservation of resources and discourage their dispersal and Destructive Disposal**
- Plan systems and infrastructure to be adjusted as discards are reduced and its composition changes
- Minimize Gas Production and Release** and maximize gas collection
- Use existing landfill capacity and maximize its lifespan. Ensure it is Responsibly Managed. **
- Contain and control, for responsible management, discards that threaten the environment or human health.
Unacceptable
Unacceptable
Systems and policies which encourage wasting or threaten the environment and human health.
Unacceptable
- Don’t allow policies and systems that encourage the Destructive Disposal and/or the destruction of discards
- Don’t allow energy and Destructive Disposal systems that are dependent upon the continued production of discards
- Don’t allow the Incineration** of discards
- Don’t allow discards to be used in products or materials that risk or cause adverse environmental or human health impacts.
- Don’t allow chemical processing of discards into fuel** (i.e., Chemical Processing of Plastics to Fuel)
- Don’t allow the use of discards in cement kilns
Version 8.0 — Last updated May 19, 2022 from ZWIA
The Zero Waste Hierarchy is originally based on Environmental Hierarchy of Waste Management & Energy Production Methods / Fuels / Technologies, Energy Justice Network, Mike Ewall