Moving toward a zero waste society

The National Solid Waste Management Association took a stand last week in support of the zero waste initiative. According to a recent article in Waste Business Journal, NSMWA President and CEO Bruce J. Parker noted that the transition to a zero waste society has begun in American households.

We are still generating a significant amount of municipal solid waste – about 250 million tons last year, according to EPA estimates. But Parker pointed out that the number is several million tons less than it was 20 years ago. The transition may be slow, but we are moving steadily in the direction of a zero waste society.

“Solid waste companies are an important partner in zero waste efforts,” Parker said. “Zero waste doesn’t mean ‘no trash,’ but rather, continuing to find economically achievable ways to treat as much waste as possible as a resource. It means diverting more of the waste stream away from disposal to be recycled or turned into a clean, renewable source of energy. Trash haulers and other solid waste processors will still be needed to make it work.”

When people look to establish a zero waste economy, they aim to increase recycling efforts and to support investments in new technology. Harvest Power sits at the intersection of these two trends.