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Zero waste is a set of principles focused on waste prevention that encourages the redesign of resource life cycles so that all products are reused. The goal is for no trash to be sent to landfills, incinerators or the ocean. Currently, only 9% of plastic is recycled. In a zero waste system, material will be reused until the optimum level of consumption is reached. The definition adopted by the Zero Waste International Alliance is:
Zero Waste: The conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse and recovery of all products, packaging, and materials, without burning them, and without discharges to land, water or air that threaten the environment or human health.
Zero waste refers to waste prevention as opposed to end-of-pipe waste management. It is a whole system's approach that aims for a massive change in the way materials flow through society, resulting in no waste. Zero waste encompasses more than eliminating waste through reducing, reusing, and recycling does. It focuses on restructuring production and distribution systems to reduce waste. Zero waste is more of a goal or an ideal rather than a hard target. Zero waste provides guidelines for continually working towards eliminating wastes.
Advocates expect that government regulation is needed to influence industrial choices over product and packaging design, manufacturing processes, and material selection.