Zero Waste Cities

Cities produce a lot of waste. From residents’ rubbish, to restaurant’s food, retailers’ packaging… the list goes on. So it’s no surprise that local authorities around the world are under a lot of pressure to best decide how to best get rid of waste. 

What is a zero waste city?

Zero Waste Cities are committed to phasing out waste in a sustainable way. Rather than burn or landfill it, they are creating and using systems that don’t generate any waste to begin with. That means recycling, reusing and reducing waste.

Why are they important?

Incinerated or landfilled waste emits methane into the atmosphere. Which in turn, contributes to global warming.

Methane is far more potent than carbon dioxide. Cutting down on methane emissions is the best chance we have of slowing down climate change, scientists say. 

Which cities are zero waste?

Leading the way with zero waste is Milan, which started implanting a scheme to recycle biowaste in 2011. Now, almost two thirds of all waste is collected, saving approximately 9000 tonnes of CO2 per year. 

Many cities outside of the EU have been working towards zero waste, too. In the city of Kamikatsu in Japan, residents must follow strict recycling rules, including separating their rubbish into 45 different types of recycling.

What about the UK?

In the UK, Leeds has promised to make the city zero-waste by 2030, by building a circular city that reuses and repairs clothing, making it easier for families to exchange school uniform for free. 

At TYME, we’re fully committed to doing our best by the planet, and have become a certified B Corp business. A huge part of this commitment is about keeping our waste to a minimum.