Overflowing landfills and a growing apprehension about their effect on climate change has many communities considering a “zero waste” strategy, according to the New York Times.

One of the most notable examples of a “no waste” society can be found in Nantucket, an island off the coast of Massachusetts whose want for landfill space and uneasiness about the cost of shipping local trash over 30 miles to the mainland encouraged its leadership to implement significant changes to it’s trash policy.  Like many communities, this no trash initiative was born not from idealism but rather necessity.

”Nobody wants a landfill sited anywhere near them, including rural areas ” said Jon D. Johnston, a materials management branch chief for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) who is helping to lead the zero-waste movement in the Southeast. New York Times

The philosophy is simple: Produce less waste.  Exchange polystyrene foam and plastics for biodegradable alternatives; recycle or compost everything else.

The island has mandated the recycling of commonly reprocessed items like aluminum, glass and paper, as well as more troublesome objects as tires, batteries and household appliances.  The town established collection sites for reusable items such as clothing and books, and all organic waste is now composted. The result of their efforts is obvious: the proportion of trash now going into the landfill or incinerator has plunged to 8 percent-an alarming drop from the Massachusetts average of 66 percent.

Nantucket isn’t the only place moving toward a “zero waste” goal.  The popular Atlanta-based restaurant chain Ecco now dumps its uneaten waste into five-gallon pails for compost. Yosemite National Park replaced plastics with plant-based cups and utensils that dissolve when heated for more than a few minutes.  Honda’s North American plants recycle so thoroughly that they have gotten rid of their trash dumpsters altogether.

Despite its growing momentum, the culture of “zero waste” has far to go. According to the EPA’s most recent figures, Americans dump 4.6 pounds of trash per person each day, and food waste now accounts for 12 percent of total trash nationally.

For a society that is infamous for over consumption and environmental negligence, the challenge now is getting people to consider the products they use and where their waste is going.  Aside from the difficulty in convincing residents and businesses to divide their trash, local leadership is also hesitant to invest in machinery like composters that can process food and yard waste.

As Johnston of the EPA put it, “Technology exists, but a lot of education still needs to be done.”

Further reading: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/science/earth/20trash.html

http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/msw99.htm

Photo: Brant Point Lighthouse  http://www.flickr.com/photos/65193799@N00/34958104/

Copyright 2009 Amanda C. Becker