zero-waste

adjective

ze·​ro-waste ˈzir-(ˌ)ō-wāst 

ˈzē-(ˌ)rō-ˈ

variants or zero waste

: generating little or no waste

a zero-waste event

zero-waste manufacturing

zero waste noun

The creative waste management strategy of "zero waste" is a combination of community and industrial responsibility that includes deconstruction in spite of demolition, composting to keep odorous organic waste out of landfills, recycling, and a screening facility to allow more separation and reuse of waste rather than incineration.

—Aimee Dolloff

Examples of zero-waste in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This week’s edition of Fuel Your Flow is a zero-waste hack for making fall and winter recipes flavorful, healthy and easy to whip up. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 12 Oct. 2026

Fable’s ceramics are hand-finished by artisans in a zero-waste facility in Portugal’s Tagus Valley. — Angela Tafoya, Architectural Digest, 30 Sep. 2026

Caterina Assi, a rising senior at Marist, incorporates excess material into pockets, cuffs and layered components through zero-waste tailoring. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026

At the center of Southall is The Jammery, a zero-waste preservation kitchen where guests can enjoy weekend breakfast and learn more about canning, pickling, curing and fermentation. — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 3 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for zero-waste

• aftertaste
• interfaced
• interlaced
• abased
• barefaced
• debased
• defaced
• disgraced
• displaced
• distaste
• effaced
• embraced