♻️ Founded in 2013, Zero Waste Strategies (ZWS) is a premier sustainability consulting firm focused on Zero Waste protocols to support the new Circular Economy. ZWS works with industry leaders who are serious about using waste reduction to drive increased revenue, deeper customer loyalty, and a green marketing edge. Our client list includes Dell Technologies, AT&T, Nestle Purina PetCare, Kohler Co., and the City of Austin, among others.


When it comes to reducing waste for increased revenue, we find business owners either:
A.) Don’t know where to start,
B.) Have good intentions, but are too overwhelmed with the day-to-day, or worse,
C.) Already have programs in place that aren't funded or enforced.

What they really want is to empower their employees, shift to a sustainable corporate culture, and lead their industry.


Their biggest challenges are usually concerns around:
1.) Profitability of recycling vs. landfilling,
2.) Lack of employee engagement and buy-in, and
3.) Frustrations with executive mandates that have no support.

But, when companies work with us, we can alleviate their pains around these issues and lead the charge to "go green" from the inside out! ♻️

ZERO WASTE IS A CYCLICAL, RATHER THAN LINEAR STRUCTURE:

Credit: Eco-Cycle, Inc.

Credit: Eco-Cycle, Inc.

 

  • Products are designed for recycling by upstream innovators and engineers

  • Products are manufactured without toxins

  • Residents, businesses, and local governments are educated on sustainability and empowered through green purchasing practices

  • Valuable materials are no longer discarded in landfills or incinerators, but recovered for reuse and remanufacturing

  • Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs ensure manufacturers take back obsolete products for responsible recycling

  • Diverse job streams are created for a more robust economy

 

A Recent Study DETAILED THE amount and COMPOSITION OF Austin'S DISCARDS AND ITS POTENTIAL TO GET TO ZERO WASTE.

Credit: City of Austin

Credit: City of Austin

Findings:

  • 44 percent of what is found in the trash stream could have been recycled:

  • An estimated 58,000 tons of recyclables are going to the landfill each year. That is enough to fill the UT tower 29 times

  • The value of recyclables thrown in the trash last year totaled $4.7 million

  • Recycling creates more jobs than discarding materials in the landfill

  • Austin’s recycling and reuse industries generated $720 million in economic activity in 2014 and supported over 2,600 jobs