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

The Quiet Site This family-run campground has sites for both tents and caravans, plus pods and cabins with hotel-grade showers, fast and free Wi-Fi, a zero-waste shop, and a popular pub set in a 16th-century building. —Andrea Bussell, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2025

Get a jump start on your resolutions with deals on zero-waste products like silicone baking mats or meal prep-friendly food storage containers, each for under $25. —Paige Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Dec. 2025

Miscreants produces its items in small quantities to align with its strict zero-waste policy. —Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 17 Nov. 2025

Beyond cutting emissions, this approach could help cities manage rising waste volumes while supporting their zero-waste goals. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 Nov. 2025

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