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 zero-waste approach is designed to recover lithium with high efficiency, providing a faster and cleaner way to produce the essential components for brand-new batteries. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 8 May 2026

Koroi is working towards a zero-waste model, whereby waste will be trucked to a sorting facility and 80-85% of it will be recycled or upcycled. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2026

Martínez likes to leave diners with a zero-waste memento to remember their meal by. —Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026

The 36-passenger ship promises unrivaled environmental credentials, including the ability to operate using wind and sun up to 90 percent of the time and a zero-waste policy at sea. —Chrissie McClatchie, Travel + Leisure, 29 Apr. 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