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ZERO by FIFTY.... Missoula's Pathway to Zero Waste
New ZERO by FIFTY Community website
Visit our new website today: https://www.zerobyfiftymissoula.com
We've got a new and improved website that serves as a one-stop-community-shop for all things “Zero Waste” in Missoula. From an overview of the ZERO by FIFTY initiative, to practical tips on how to reduce, reuse, repair, and recycle, to ways to get involved in Missoula’s growing Zero Waste movement, we hope this will be a useful resource for you.
ZERO by FIFTY Adopted Unanimously
On August 6th, 2018, the Missoula City Council Adopted ZERO by FIFTY unanimously. We're already hard at work collaborating with partners, advising and supporting residents and businesses with their own Zero Waste initiatives, and gathering resources for widespread plan implementation. The community excitement is palpable, and momentum is real. We'll have more updates soon, but wanted to post the plan below so that it can continue to provide a framework to inspire ideas, innovation and action as Missoula pivots toward becoming a Zero Waste community. Link below.
ZERO by FIFTY: Missoula's Pathway to Zero Waste (PDF)
ZERO by FIFTY - Four Paths
The City of Missoula and our ZERO by FIFTY team is excited to debut the four plan "Paths" or focus areas of the forthcoming ZERO by FIFTY plan, along with supporting strategies:
The four focus areas, or Paths to Zero Waste in Missoula are: Access, Infrastructure, Education and Policy. These paths and related strategies came into focus from studying best practices in other communities, and from YOU via our three Community Listening Sessions hosted in March.
We're excited to put detail this foundation, and are aiming to bring the full plan to the public and City Council in April. Stay tuned! Please click on the link below to review ZERO by FIFTY Paths and Strategies.
Background
On February 8th, 2016, the Missoula City Council adopted the 2016 Missoula Zero Waste Resolution (PDF). This resolution set in motion the process to develop a community-wide Zero Waste plan, The goal of the resolution is that the City of Missoula reduces waste by 90 percent by 2050.
What is Zero Waste?
The Missoula Zero Waste Resolution adopts the concept of Zero Waste as defined by the Zero Waste International Alliance:
"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."
To learn more about Zero Waste watch the Zero Waste Presentation by Jeremy Drake and Katie Deuel from Home ReSource. This presentation was given to the Committee of the Whole of the Missoula City Council and explained the need for the City of Missoula to start down a Zero Waste path.
Process
Since the adoption of Missoula's Zero Waste Resolution, a ZERO by FIFTY Leadership Team has formed to guide and facilitate the overall public process and draft Missoula's Zero Waste plan. The Leadership Team is advised by the Zero Waste Advisory Committee (ZWAC) made up of volunteer stakeholders from a variety of sectors, organizations and the community. Click here to see a list of the Zero Waste Leadership Team and of ZWAC's members and their affiliations.
To make sure that the public's interests are incorporated into the Zero Waste plan, the City of Missoula will host Community Listening Sessions March 2nd, 7th and 8th.
Timeline
Click this link to see a Timeline (PDF) for the entire Zero Waste planning process and how the public will be involved from start to finish!