San Francisco: Reducing Waste at the Local Level
Commonwealth Club - SF Club Office
Imagine a world in which nothing goes into a landfill or an incinerator, one where all of our discarded materials become resources for others to use. It may sound impossible, but Zero Waste proponents disagree. Across the nation, policymakers, business leaders and individuals are reinventing their relationship to waste in incredibly innovative ways - from outlawing the use of plastic bags to designing responsible product packaging to wearing water-less denim. Innovators are coming to understand that the pathway to a sustainable future can be paved with more than just recycling bins and compost heaps; they say it requires us to take a close look at the ecosystem that we've all played a part in creating. A San Francisco urbanite, an infrastructure expert, a business sustainability director and a political leader show us the 30,000-foot view of a sustainable city and dive into the everyday actions that could move us toward a zero waste future.