The City of Tucson is falling behind other cities in its efforts to transition to a zero waste future. Too much of the City’s focus has been placed on managing waste after the fact instead of reducing the amount of waste generated in the first place. In this challenging time when climate change can be seen everywhere with increasing and worsening extreme weather, the residents of Tucson deserve to live in a more sustainable community where they can make a difference.
It’s time for the City to engage all four Rs of the zero waste hierarchy. This means reducing material consumption first and foremost; reusing and refurbishing everything possible; and recycling and composting all remaining materials. This approach represents a rethinking of how products are produced, used and consumed, eliminating the concept of waste and keeping materials in circulation at their best and highest use.
According to the U.S. EPA, over 40% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are associated with the energy used to produce, process, transport, and dispose of the goods we use and foods we eat. This means consumption is a primary driver of climate emissions. And the more we buy and throw away, the more resources and energy it takes to make new products, and the faster climate change accelerates. On the other hand, when we consume less and reuse materials in a continuous cycle, we reduce upstream greenhouse gases and other pollutants produced by the extraction of resources, the use of energy in the production of goods and services, and transportation of goods—paving the way for a more sustainable future.
A good first step for the City would be to develop an educational outreach program designed to communicate with residents and businesses about the benefits of zero waste practices and to define their role in moving the community in the direction of a zero waste culture. The City should also partner with restaurants, institutional dining services and entrepreneurs to scale up a reusable take-out container system in the community. This should be accompanied by a “Skip the Stuff” campaign that encourages food providers to provide straws, plastic utensils, napkins and condiment packets only if the customer requests them.
The good news is that the City doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel. Already hundreds of communities around the world have developed zero waste systems, saving them money, reducing climate pollution and building up local economies. We can learn from cities like Seattle, Palo Alto, Minneapolis, Washington DC, Austin, and Santa Clara County (CA). It’s time to make zero waste a priority in Tucson. Our citizens deserve this. And we can do this.