Zero Waste

To get started, check out our Zero Waste Resource Page

What is Zero Waste?

Zero Waste is the practice of reducing, reusing, and acting as a mindful consumer with the end goal of sending as little to the landfill as possible. While recycling and composting are excellent first steps in reducing this waste stream, strategies like buying less and up-cycling are also critical factors in reducing your household waste. The five tenants of living a zero waste lifestyle are:

  1. Refuse: know how to say "no" to what's not essential.

  2. Reduce: adopt minimalist tendencies.

  3. Reuse: give items a second life.

  4. Recycle: prioritize recyclable packaging

  5. Rot: compost all organic waste.

Why Zero Waste?

The impacts of our waste production habits are severe and widespread. Uncaptured waste results in waterway pollution, microplastics, contaminated food products, and more. Landfills release methane, a greenhouse gas 30x more powerful than carbon dioxide! Incinerators, like the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center, release harmful pollutants into the community, causing health problems and reduced air quality.

Misconceptions about Zero Waste

1. Zero Waste living is only for the rich. Not true! In Minneapolis, our opt-in curbside organics recycling program is free to participate in. In many cases, refusing, reducing, and reusing end up being cheaper than not. Zero Waste doesn't have to mean fancy reusable produce bags or designer cloth napkins. For more tips on reducing your waste while saving money, be sure to check out our blog.
2. Zero Waste is all or nothing; I have to do it perfectly. Don't be fooled by the name, Zero Waste is not as scary as it sounds! Start with the steps that work for you. Try packing reusable utensils for on-the-go meals, or saving salsa jars and using them to buy bulk products. Do you even need produce bags at the grocery store, reusable or otherwise? Doing what you can, where you can do it, makes an incredible impact on keeping waste out of our landfills and incinerators.

Getting Started

For starters, be sure to check out our Zero Waste Resource Guide for more information and ideas to reduce your carbon and waste footprints and take action at a policy level.
The next step is to identify specific strategies that will work for you and your family. Can't commit to buying your groceries entirely from a farmer's market? Try organics recycling through the city (again, it's free! Sign up here) instead. A good goal is to incorporate 2-3 Zero Waste practices into your life in the first two weeks, and 1 or 2 new strategies every week after that.
After that, consider joining our Zero Waste committee here.

Committee Platform

1. Promote community participation in the Hennepin County Zero Waste Challenge.
2. Learn about local climate legislation
         One Minnesota Path to Clean Energy: 100% Carbon-Free by 2050, Clean Energy First, and Energy Optimization.
          Electric Vehicle Subsidies 
          Solar on Schools
          Salt Applicator Certification
          Call the House of Representatives and voice support at this number: (651) 296-2146
          Call the Senate and voice support at this number: (651) 296-0504
3. Mobilize support for local climate legislation by contacting representatives
          Read answers to FAQs and learn about options for contacting local representatives here.
​          Call the House of Representatives and voice support at this number: (651) 296-2146
          Call the Senate and voice support at this number: (651) 296-0504
3. Combat pro-plastic bag lobbying in the wake of COVID-19
           

Minneapolis Climate Action deeply understands the connection between climate change, more harmful impacts of pollution on communities of color and zero waste.
​At this time because of our extensive work in community solar and a just renewable energy transition, we do not have the internal capacity to do active work in zero waste. When we acquire more funding, we will be back at our zero waste work!

The good news is we have colleagues actively working on zero waste and environmental justice and we encourage you to reach out to them!

Please check out these resources:

Rusty and the Crew
​Website
Email: rustyandthecrew@gmail.com
Phone: 612-449-2587

GAIA is a global network working towards a just and waste-free world without incineration.