As both a goal and a plan of action, zero waste has the power to subvert our current destructive and extractive economy. Our work in zero waste paves the way for the development of an economy with clean production and an equitable and closed loop system. In such a system, all materials and products are ultimately reused, repaired, composted, or recycled, and community well-being valued above corporate profit.
Today, our work focuses on building a stronger global zero waste movement and demonstrating that zero waste is not only a mainstream solution to the waste crisis, but one that furthers social justice. To this end, we facilitate knowledge-sharing between organizations, and provide technical assistance, capacity building, and other direct support to cities, institutions, and members pushing for and implementing zero waste solutions all over the world. We organize regional and international zero waste conferences, trainings, and exchanges such as our Zero Waste Academies. We advocate for waste picker inclusion into municipal waste management systems. We also target national, regional and global policy and financing, shifting them towards zero waste solutions and sustainable finance criteria.
Testimonials
GAIA members around the world work to make zero waste not only attainable, but also a reality. These are their testimonies.
“Zero waste is an unstoppable movement. We are hopeful that it will become an undeniable reality.” Susana Fonseca, ZERO Portugal
“We want to create models that have economic and social benefits to the community.”
“No community, anywhere in the world, is disposable. We need to be thinking more collectively.”
