HomeMy WebLinkAboutI. A. ZERO WASTE AWARENESS WEEK 9.3.24Zero Waste Awareness
Small Changes. Big Impact.
VB Clean Community Commission
Maury Hill, Chair and Terry Stevens, Vice Chair
Kristi Rines, Staff Liaison
•Formed in 1980 to promote litter prevention,
recycling, beautification, and general environmental
awareness through educational projects designed to
reach all segments of the community.
•VBCCC Mission
•To promote a cleaner, more beautiful City and to
ensure our community’s environmental vitality.
•Encourage sustainable use of resources.
•Increase Awareness of Environmental Stewardship
(Litter Prevention, recycling, and beautification).
•Provide education to engage the community in
environmental stewardship activities.
VB Clean Community Commission
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Trash
148,158 tons
Waste Wise
Yard Waste
15,326 tons
Bulk Items
5,011 tons
Recycling
22,847 tons
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•In FY 23/24, Waste Management collected 168,495 tons of household waste while
the City’s recycling contractor collected 22,847 tons of recyclables.
In 2023, the Virginia Beach City Council signed a resolution, on the
recommendation of the VBCCC, that recognizes the first full week of
September as Zero Waste Awareness Week.
During Zero Waste Awareness Week, the City highlights all the ways that
residents can work towards a zero -waste lifestyle.
Less waste in our landfills translates to a decrease in costs associated with
managing this waste.
Zero Waste Awareness Week
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Zero Waste Explained
Zero Waste is the process of eliminating reusable or repairable materials
from ending up in the landfill.
Zero waste encourages manufacturers, municipalities, and consumers to
evaluate current consumption patterns and minimize single-use items.
To divert materials from the landfill we must share the responsibility of
producing and consuming sustainable products while limiting our use of
disposable items.
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2024 Zero Waste Initiatives
•Distributing reusable grocery totes to
citizens, with a focus of these going to
underserved areas of our city.
•Social Media and print media outreach
and education.
•Education Campaigns that encourage
residents to Recycle Right.
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Reduce/Reuse
Buy less and use less! An important part of waste reduction is using natural resources wisely and avoid the use of single-use products that end up in the landfill. Also reuse items whenever possible!
•Reusable bottles, mugs, utensils, straws, and bags
•Cut down on yard waste by mulch mowing or composting
Investing in reusable and durable products will decrease the need for new ones. Keep resources from entering the waste stream and allow products to be used to their fullest extent .
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Repair
Focus on mending broken or malfunctioning items
that we would normally want to recycle or toss.
Find practical solutions to repair items to prolong
product use.
Not only is repairing broken items good for the
environment, in many instances it can save money.
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Repurpose/Donate
Transform the value of items by turning them
into other useful items.
Remember to donate unwanted items that are
still in good, workable condition to local
organizations that redistribute goods to the
public.
Consider local swap pages or Facebook
Marketplace to find a new home for your
unwanted items.
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Recycle
Recycling is the last step in the zero -waste
hierarchy because all the steps referenced in
previous slides should be considered before
recycling is an option.
Recycling saves natural resources, reduces the
amount of waste in landfills, saves energy,
prevents pollution and creates jobs.
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Food Waste
The average household produces 650 pounds of organic
trash a year.
EPA estimates that more food reaches landfills than any
other single material in our everyday trash, constituting
24 percent of municipal solid waste .
Compost at home using food scraps from your kitchen
and dry leaves and woody material from your yard . This
one change can reduce your trash by at least 50%.
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In FY24, Waste Management collected and disposed
of 15,326 tons of yard waste.
Ways to minimize this waste
•Mulch mow
•Compost yard clippings
•Take woody debris to the City’s landfill where it can
be mulched and used throughout the city
Yard Waste
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THANK YOU
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