Use less
Design out demand for virgin material at source - the cheapest waste to handle is the kind never created.
All resources conserved.
Designing waste out altogether.
For planet and people prosperity.
Zero waste means what it says - a north star for the policymakers and governments shaping how the world handles its resources.
Zero waste on the climate agenda.
Driven heavily by host nation Türkiye's Zero Waste Foundation, COP31 places explicit emphasis on resource efficiency, waste prevention, and circular economic frameworks as core drivers of climate mitigation. Zero waste and circular economy are part of one of four key priorities for the conference, which will be held 9-20 November 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye.
Despite the adoption of many zero waste policies around the world, we continue to see global waste levels rise. We clearly need a reset. Is this approach to zero waste actually working?
Rising waste, increased pollution, the over-extraction of resources - and the associated impacts on climate change, biodiversity loss and social inequality. The signs are everywhere.
Zero waste is not about the management of waste. It is about the eradication of waste through better design of products and services, so we use less, use longer and use again.
Zero Waste International is a call to arms - to reclaim the definition and articulate clearly how true zero waste activity can both reduce the amount and impact of waste, and increase prosperity for all.
Zero waste is a design principle, not a disposal method.
Use longer
Specify for durability, repair and reuse, so products stay in service and hold their value for far longer.
Use again
Keep materials cycling at their highest value through reuse, repair and regeneration - never landfill.
What we need to do
01
Protect the Definition
Zero waste is a design principle, not a technical fix. We need to ensure the term is not used to justify practices that destroy resources or harm communities. When a definition loses its meaning, the systems built on it lose their direction.
02
Build the Case for Recognition
A protected, internationally recognised definition would give policymakers, regulators, and practitioners a shared reference to work from. We need to build the evidence and the coalition to make that recognition happen.
03
Connect the Practice
Around the world, communities and organisations are already demonstrating what zero waste looks like in action - through composting systems, reuse networks, repair economies, and regenerative approaches to materials. We need to connect and support that work.
Guided by practitioners, not figureheads
Zero Waste International seeks to utilise an existing network of individuals with long experience across community, government, academia, agriculture, engineering, and beyond. What connects this network is a practical understanding: how systems work, and how they can be improved.
This is not a hierarchy. It is a network built on trust, shared knowledge, and a commitment to doing things properly.
A call to arms. Reclaim the definition.
Join the custodians building the evidence, the coalition and the practice behind true zero waste.