What Is a Zero Waste California?

Californians know how to "reduce, reuse, and recycle." We have been living it and have come to make it part of our everyday lives. Now, with recycling and conservation programs in every city, we are able to embrace the zero waste concept as our guiding principal and goal for the future.

Zero waste is based on the concept that wasting resources is inefficient and that efficient use of our natural resources is what we should work to achieve. It requires that we maximize our existing recycling and reuse efforts, while ensuring that products are designed for the environment and have the potential to be repaired, reused, or recycled.

The success of zero waste requires that we redefine the concept of "waste" in our society. In the past, waste was considered a natural by-product of our culture. Now, it is time to recognize that proper resource management, not waste management, is at the heart of reducing waste sent to landfills.

For years, we have been throwing valuable resources away—the same resources we will inevitably need in the future—all in the name of consumer and manufacturer convenience.

At the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB), we now embrace the idea of a zero waste California as we promote the goals of market development, recycled product procurement; provide recycled purchase opportunities through our RecycleStore, and continue to research new and sustainable technologies.

We encourage you to take a stand for zero waste and talk to your friends, family, city council and/or board of supervisors in support of this goal. Because, when it comes to zero waste—you make it happen!