Question by Natlawee: what the difference between recycling and zero waste?
Best answer:
Answer by whsgreenmom
Recycling is one method to help achieve zero waste. Zero waste goal is to have nothing going to the landfill, it would have to be an integrated plan that would include composting, recycling and re purposing a variety of materials. Banning some materials would be likely as well. There is a variety of packaging material that can’t be recycled, most of the snack or junk food packaging is a hybrid of multiple materials that can’t be recycled and have limited reuse applications.
Recycling alone can’t achieve zero waste, but you can’t achieve zero waste without recycling.
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The usual view is that zero waste means no waste sent out to be disposed – burned or buried.
There is a view that recycling still means that waste was generated. It is better to not create the waste if you can help it. Still, recycling means that you are not disposing of something completely.
The EPA’s definition of pollution prevention actually means actions taken prior to recycling.