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

And one of Sanchez’s former chefs, Laura Cabrera, has risen to lead her own kitchen at the zero-waste restaurant Baldío in Mexico City. —Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2025

Topped with dredged and fried shrimp legs, this recipe highlights the head-to-tail, zero-waste ethos of many Volos tsipouradika. —Greg Chelmis, Saveur, 10 July 2025

Design criteria included exclusive use of denim (allowing up to only 10 percent of other materials) and the application of waste-minimizing techniques such as zero-waste patterns, convertible garments, or the creation of fashion accessories using leftover materials. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 7 July 2025

For a standalone fine-dining experience, Kubu takes diners on a zero-waste culinary journey, where every bite of the ten-course menu is sourced within a 100-kilometer (62-mile) radius. —Alexandra Kirkman, Forbes.com, 2 July 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