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Certified Zero Waste

October 27, 2015

In June an article focusing on zero waste communities was posted on the NERC Blog. Today’s article offers some insights into zero waste business facility certification.

The U.S. Zero Waste Business Council (USZWBC) mission is to educate, inform and document the performance of Zero Waste Businesses using scientific methods to help businesses and communities become more healthy and sustainable.

USZWBC promotes a definition of zero waste, as developed by the Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA):

"Zero Waste is a goal that is ethical, economical, efficient and visionary, to guide people in changing their lifestyles and practices to emulate sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded materials are designed to become resources for others to use. Zero Waste means designing and managing products and processes to systematically avoid and eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources, and not burn or bury them. Implementing Zero Waste will eliminate all discharges to land, water or air that are a threat to planetary, human, animal or plant health."

As outlined in the ZWIA Zero Waste Business Principles and the Global Principles for Zero Waste Communities, businesses and communities that achieve over 90% diversion of waste from landfills, incinerators, and the environment are considered to be successful in achieving zero waste.

U.S. Zero Waste Business Council Certification Programs

ZW Recognition AwardInspired by the Zero Waste business community, U.S. Zero Waste Business Council and its Certification Development Committee created the first third-party Zero Waste Facility Certification program for facilities that meet the Zero Waste Principles of the Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA). 

They have also developed the first Certification program for Zero Waste Business professionals, modeled after the U.S. Green Building Council professional accreditation program.

I presented recently at the BioCycle Conference on a panel with Brian Balukonis, Solid Waste Process Owner at Raytheon, who discussed their efforts at becoming a Certified Zero Waste Business.

According to Mr. Balukonis, “Raytheon’s resource management (RM) program is a strategy focused on preventing the generation of waste; and where this is not possible, to recycle or reuse these materials. Disposal of waste in landfill or by incineration is the least preferred option.”

The company’s “Serving Up Sustainability” campaign emphasizes reusability over disposability and ensures that china plates, silverware, and reusable cups receive first priority in usage over paper or eco-friendly materials used in the dining centers.  Future dining center goals of Serving Up Sustainability will focus on increasing environmentally preferable purchasing, expanding source reduction efforts, and exploring effective waste disposal methods, including composting.

Raytheon’s “Zero Office Waste” program—ZOWe—was implemented at its Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) business headquarters site in Tewksbury, Massachusetts in 2012. The office no longer uses deskside garbage containers, but has instead switched to only having compost and recycling containers in individual offices.

A list of other certified zero waste businesses can be found on the USZWBC website.

By Athena Lee Bradley (with contributions from Chelsi Tryon, Certification and Training Manager for the U.S. Zero Waste Business Council)


The U.S. Zero Waste Business Council is offering a ZWBA Scorecard Training Course to prepare participants for Zero Waste Business certifications and to institute sustainable business policies that reduce waste and save money at the US EPA New England office in Boston, MA on Thursday, November 5, 2015.

The course will provide attendees with an overview of the USZWBC Zero Waste Business Scorecard certification system, the definition of Zero Waste, and give corporate examples of Zero Waste policies and programs. The Training will also provide educational resources and tools to help businesses get started (or complete) their efforts to pursue Zero Waste. This course is a requirement for those interested in pursuing the professional Zero Waste Business Associate (ZWBA) Certification; however, enrollment is open to anyone interested in learning more about Zero Waste or the USZWBC Zero Waste Business Certification. An application to the ZWBA program is required to attend the course for those wishing to become certified.

This course is eligible for 0.6 College Continuing Education Units (CEUs) from Pennsylvania State University, Altoona. Registrants who plan to apply for ZWBA Certification will automatically receive CEUs for this course. This course is also eligible for 6 Massachusetts TUR Planner Credits – TUR (toxics use reduction) & RC (resource conservation) credits.

Early bird registration discounts end Thursday, October 29th. 

ZWBA Training in San Diego – Nov 4th: A West Coast Zero Waste Business Associate Scorecard Training will be held at the San Diego International Airport and includes a tour of the airports Zero Waste initiatives.

Zero Waste Resources

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