zero-waste

adjective

ze·​ro-waste ˈzir-(ˌ)ō-wāst How to pronounce zero-waste (audio)
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
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The hotel is also home to the unmissable Chef's Table By Katsuhito Inoue, a zero-waste, communal kaiseki dining experience crafted around Kyoto’s 72 microseasons. Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 3 Apr. 2026 In a roadside brewery in the zero-waste village of Kamikatsu in Tokoshima, the pub’s triple-height seating area looks like a collage of windows in every size, affording a vertical panorama of mountains. Justin Davidson, Curbed, 1 Apr. 2026 The flax cultivation is powered entirely by rainfall, and refined through a 100 percent mechanical extraction, zero-waste process. Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 23 Mar. 2026 The full lineup of films, more information about seminars, panels and workshops, as well as details about the festival’s zero-waste sustainability practices, can be found on the organization’s website. Angelique Jackson, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for zero-waste

Word History

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of zero-waste was in 1970

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Cite this Entry

“Zero-waste.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zero-waste. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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