Zero Waste challenges the “take-make-waste” mode, focusing on collective responsibility and waste prevention. To date, more than 25 cities across the region have established Zero Waste models, showcasing innovations in source separation, organics management, materials recovery, and plastic regulation. Several of these cities have also incorporated brand audits in their baseline studies, exposing plastic waste as one of the most problematic aspects of their waste streams. While plastic bans have greatly reduced the number of carrier bags and plastic straws, governments struggle dealing with the volume of single-use plastic, often spending millions of dollars in transportation costs for landfilling, or even incineration.
This year’s Zero Waste Cities Conference will gather government officials, experts, civil society organizations and Zero Waste communities and practitioners in a series of virtual events from January 25 – March, 2021. Building on previous editions held in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, the event will feature Zero Waste champions from different countries across the Asia Pacific Region in the digital platform. The aim is to feature conversations to showcase the diversity of actions, experiences, challenges, and successes towards the common goal of a Zero Waste World.
About IZWCC2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about unprecedented challenges and sometimes intensification of difficulties in mobilizing for a healthier and just environment. However, our Zero Waste champions across the region continue to rise to these challenging times. To address the barrier of face-to-face meetings, the International Zero Waste Cities Conference 2021 will be held virtually. The conference will feature the following elements:
- Pre-recorded country-level one-on-one conversations with a GAIA member and one partner zero waste advocate/ally
- Virtual Tour of Zero Waste City models in the region
- Twitter Conference on the conversations around Zero Waste in the Region
