What is Zero Waste to Landfill?
As part of our Epic Promise for a Zero Footprint commitment, Vail Resorts has announced a goal of zero waste to landfill (ZWL) by 2030. So what does that really mean? And how will we achieve this goal
By definition, zero waste to landfill means that all materials are diverted from landfills, incinerators and the environment. The idea is to redesign resource life cycles so that all products are reused, similar to the way that resources are reused in nature.
While the ultimate goal is absolute zero waste to landfill, the US Zero Waste Business Council and Green Business Certification Inc. currently define zero waste to landfill at 90% diversion. There are items in the waste stream where we can’t currently close the loop on life cycle and will need technology to help us redesign and recycle or reuse these materials. It really comes back to the simplicity of the 3 R’s you learned in school.
- The first step towards ZWL is to REDUCE what we actually use. Reduction of materials into the system always has the greatest environmental benefit - not only are we reducing the waste we need to dispose, we’re also mitigating the impacts and emissions associated with creating the product in the first place, from resource extraction, to manufacture, to shipping. For example, if we ensure that garbage bags are completely filled, we use less garbage bags which means less resources to create them and fewer bags in the waste stream.
- The next step is to REUSE materials in our operations. The most visible example of this is the switch from disposable to reusable dishes, cutlery and glassware in our restaurants.
- And finally, RECYCLE or COMPOST. This is where diversion comes in. Anything we can avoid sending to the landfill is considered “diverted” – so it is really a fancy word for recycling and composting. Landfills are linear systems - what goes in never comes out. We want to support what’s known as circular systems, where waste is no longer considered unusable but instead is a resource for something else.
We will continue to work with our local communities to increase options for reuse and diversion.
We know that zero waste to landfill represents a great challenge that will take the ingenuity of everyone at Vail Resorts – and our efforts together will have great impact.
Thanks for your interest and your commitment. Please send all ideas about achieving zero waste to landfill to your local EpicPromise Project Zero Team!