Zero Waste Week: How to Embed Circularity and Sustainability
Every first Monday in September, millions of people across the world commit to reducing their landfill waste for Zero Waste Week (ZWW), an award-winning grassroots campaign founded in 2008.
The initiative empowers people and companies to think when it comes to recycling, waste reduction and overconsumption.
“My mission is to empower you to rethink ‘rubbish’ as a valuable resource,” says Rachelle Strauss, Founder of ZWW.
“I encourage you to make small changes that lead to more sustainable consumption patterns.
“I educate so that you can easily and effectively reduce landfill, save money and participate in the circular economy – in line with the Global Goals for sustainable development.
What is ZWW?
Having zero/ minimal waste is important to protect the environment by reducing pollution and conserving natural resources, mitigating the impacts of waste on landfills and ecosystems.
Limiting waste also offers economic benefits, such as cost savings from reduced consumption and waste management and boosts local economies by creating jobs and fostering a circular economy.
ZWW “helps householders, businesses, organisations, schools, universities and community groups reduce landfill waste so people can save money, preserve resources and protect the environment.”
In 2008, when ZWW began, it saw just 100 participants.
To date, ZWW sees millions of people in more than 85 countries joining in to limit waste.
“ZWW encourages each of us to rethink ‘rubbish’ and how we dispose of it,” writes Gary Evans, Top Innovator at UpLink – World Economic Forum and Director of The Forest Bathing Institute, on LinkedIn.
“The aim is to save money, reduce landfill and recycle leading to a circular economy more in line with sustainability for the future.”
ZWW’s initiatives are clear, waste should be reduced and limited, no matter the sector.
“While the focus on zero waste has decreased in some corporate environments, consumers are increasingly adapting it into their daily lives,” writes Katrin Zeiler, Senior Director Zero Waste World at CHEP, on LinkedIn.
“AI and sustainability may come in very different forms yet zero waste remains its own strong pillar for sustainable consumption and community action.”
Why ZWW matters now
The campaign’s ethos resonates even more strongly in light of recent global challenges.
From 5 to 14 August 2025, parties from across the globe joined the second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to develop an “internationally legally binding instrument on plastic pollution” according to the United Nations (UN).
Delegates from 183 nations gathered at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, with more than 2,600 participants, including 1,400 government representatives and nearly 1,000 observers from at least 400 organisations.
Civil society voices, from Indigenous Peoples and waste pickers to youth activists and scientists, pushed hard for action.
Yet despite intensive talks, “the international push for consensus on a deal proved beyond the grasp of weary UN Member States,” the UN reported.
With no treaty text finalised, the negotiations will continue.
The failure to reach agreement underscores why local campaigns like ZWW remain vital – demonstrating that while governments debate, individuals and communities can drive real change.
“This has been a hard-fought 10 days against the backdrop of geopolitical complexities, economic challenges and multilateral strains,” says Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
“While we did not land the treaty text we hoped for, we at UNEP will continue the work against plastic pollution – pollution that is in our groundwater, in our soil, in our rivers, in our oceans and yes, in our bodies.”
Contact groups tried to resolve critical issues around plastic design, chemicals of concern, production caps and financial compliance however the consensus remained elusive.
“Failing to reach the goal we set for ourselves may bring sadness, even frustration,” says Luis Vayas Valdivieso, INC Chair.
“Yet it should not lead to discouragement.
“On the contrary, it should spur us to regain our energy, renew our commitments and unite our aspirations.
“It has not happened yet in Geneva, but I have no doubt that the day will come when the international community will unite its will and join hands to protect our environment and safeguard the health of our people.”
António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, stated after the ending of INC-5.2: “I deeply regret that, despite earnest efforts, negotiations to reach an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, concluded without achieving a consensus.
“I welcome the determination of Member States in continuing to work to beat plastic pollution and keep engaged in the process, united in purpose, to deliver the treaty the world needs to tackle this monumental challenge to people and the environment.”
The fashion industry
Of the 100 billion garments produced each year, 92 million tonnes end up in landfills, according to Earth.Org.
The organisation states: “to put things in perspective, this means that the equivalent of a rubbish truck full of clothes ends up in landfill sites every second.
“If the trend continues, the number of fast fashion waste is expected to soar up to 134 million tonnes a year by the end of the decade.”
The United Nations Environmental Programmes (UNEP) found that production doubled from 2000 to 2015, while the duration of garment use decreased by 36%.
Roughly 11% of plastic waste comes from clothing and textiles, with only 8% of textile fibres in 2023 made from recycled sources, according to UNEP.
Discarded clothing often ends up in low-income countries, where inadequate waste management infrastructure results in dumping, burning and severe environmental and social consequences.
In cities, fashion waste frequently goes to landfill, taking decades to decompose while releasing harmful greenhouse gases.
Ultra-fast fashion giants such as SHEIN and TEMU are accelerating this cycle, producing cheap garments at scale that encourage overconsumption and short lifespans.
“Unsustainable fashion is aggravating the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature, land and biodiversity loss and pollution and waste,” says Inger.
“We need to focus on a circular economy approach that values sustainable production, reuse and repair. By working together, consumers, industry and governments can support genuinely durable fashion and help reduce our fashion footprint.”
The urgency of action
The need for initiatives like ZWW is further highlighted by the continued high use of single-use plastics.
According to The UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs: “In the reporting year from 7 April 2024 to 6 April 2025, the total number of single-use plastic bags sold by the 102 retailers in England who reported data for the period was 437 million, up 7% since 2023 to 2024 and down 79% since 2016 to 2017.”
These figures show that while progress is possible and has been occurring, setbacks still happen, making action, laws and international agreements essential.
By reducing waste in our daily lives, supporting circular economy solutions and pushing for accountability, communities can take action now, while governments work to deliver the treaty the planet urgently needs.
