Ver 1.0 (Jun 23)
Confidential & Proprietary | 2023 CBRE Inc.
The Zero Waste International Alliance defines zero waste as: “the conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health.”
Communities and businesses that divert 90% of their waste from landfills, incinerators and the environment are considered ‘zero waste’. A move to a closed-loop system of production with a circular waste strategy would ease the overwhelming burden on Earth’s ecosystems, reduce levels of pollution, limit biodiversity loss, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The move away from current waste disposal practices and towards a circular waste management framework will involve every element of the value chain. (1)
1. Zero Waste Definition
Increasingly, designers are considering opportunities unique to place, along with the broader consequences of their design decisions:
- Architects are designing buildings to conserve energy and water and take advantage of available sunlight and rainfall
- Civil engineers and landscape architects are designing sidewalks and tree pits so instead of overloading sewer systems, stormwater soaks back into the ground
- Urban planners are designing inclusive public spaces that help forge social connections and lead to healthier, more resilient communities. We can also design the built environment to support the stewardship of materials (2)