Reaching for Zero is a plan proposed for reducing New York City’s waste exports to very close to zero by 2024, through a combination of waste prevention, reuse, recycling and composting.

This plan will not only reduce and eliminate the crushing expense of waste exports from the City, but it will also keep dollars spent on waste management circulating within the City’s economy, creating industry and jobs in NY rather than shipping dollars, along with our waste to out of state locations.

With close to 8 million residents and over 12 million people during a workday, New York City produces enormous amounts of waste. 13,000 tons per day are generated by trash and recyclables from the residential and institutional sectors, and another 9,900 tons per day of food scraps, dirty paper, and recyclable containers, from the commercial sector. Commercial construction and demolition debris and fill material are generated in even larger quantities.

New York has thousands of businesses, hundreds of institutions like museums, colleges and universities, and a large number of City, State and Federal Agencies. So when NYC generates waste it is not just in the home, it is on the way to work or school, in public transportation, while visiting government agencies, while shopping at stores and supermarkets, or while at work or play at many of New York City’s recreational facilities, such as parks, zoos, and sports venues.

Since the announcement in 1997 that the Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island (which had previously taken all of the City’s waste) would be closed, the City has maintained almost an exclusive focus on exporting waste out of the City to distant landfills and incinerators as the solution to its waste management problems. The costs of waste export to the City are enormous and have risen 91% since 2000 so that they are now over $100 a ton. Following the announcement of the Fresh Kills closure, the City Council and planning committees in the offices of each Borough President made extensive recommendations about how the City should handle its waste. The recommendations, while differing on details, spoke to the need for the City to reduce or prevent waste, to recycle more, to create a larger reuse network, and to compost organic waste. To a large extent, these recommendations have been ignored; hence the Reaching for Zero plan has been actioned.

Find out more about it by visiting: www.consumersunion.org/other/zero-waste/

“Zero Waste California” is an initiative supported by the CA Government. They agree that California is a state rich in natural resources and those resources need to be protected. In that effort, Zero Waste California stretches beyond previously imagined goals. It is the ultimate in environmental stewardship—and a goal we can all work together to accomplish.

How can we zero our waste? Here are some options to promote recycling in CA, check them out before you book your dumpster at www.bookadumpster.com

CalMAX…a simple idea “One business’s trash is another business’s treasure.” Businesses, schools, and nonprofits can utilize CalMAX to search for available and wanted materials. An online materials exchange service designed to help businesses, organizations, local governments, industry, schools, and individuals find markets for non-hazardous materials that may otherwise be discarded.

The California Take-It-Back Partnership is collaboration between government and business to provide convenient locations for consumers to dispose of everyday items banned from the trash such as used batteries, fluorescent lamps, and electronic devices. To know where to go to drop off banned items please visit www.earth911.org

Recycle Plastic Grocery Bags - It will now be easier for consumers to recycle their plastic grocery bags. Most local grocery stores will be offering in-store recycling bins and reusable bags for purchase.

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency’s website lets you calculate your “carbon footprint,” or personal/family greenhouse gas emissions. You can also find ways to lower your emissions while reducing your energy and waste disposal costs.