We envision a community that continually reduces its waste by reducing, reusing, and recycling all materials possible, providing opportunities and incentives to do so for members of all socio-economic groups.  Our community will actively work to become a Zero Waste Community. 

Where we're heading:

March 2018.  The zero waste "bucket" will be featured at our March 1 monthly meetup at Imagine Nation Brewing. Join us to talk reducing waste and exciting ways to get involved locally. 

December 2017. Missoula's "ZERO by FIFTY"  process is moving along. We'll keep this webpage updated. For now, check out this nifty Eco-cycle Solutions short report on our community effort: Zero Waste In Action Case Study - Missoula.  
There are great local businesses that are helping support our Zero Waste goals:
  • Missoula Compost Collection: starting at only $15 a month for curbside compost pickup.  Way to go Sean!
  • Soil Cycles: A compost collection service in Missoula. The mission is to "promote the natural food cycle by providing an environmentally sustainable community-based compost hauling service. 
  • Montana Deconstruction Services: offers competitive bids compared to demolition services and homeowners get a tax write off for keeping materials out of the land fill. 
  • Oreo's Refining: A new electronic waste recycling business.. It's estimated that only about 30 percent of Americans' electronic waste is properly recycled. Oreo's mission is to help Montanans become leaders in e-waste recycling.​​
  • Log Jam Presents: announced the Going Green Initiative  - partnered with the City of Missoula's ZERO by FIFTY, they're reducing and recycling waste at the Top Hat Lounge, Wilma and Kettlehouse Amphitheater  Thanks for your commitment to help reduce landfill waste in the region 90 percent by 2050!
  • i.e. recycling. Yes, Martin is collecting glass, along with other recycling.

TOP BUCKET STRATEGIES
from our Community Climate Smart Action Plan

Build Support for Waste Reduction Across Sectors
Discover opportunities for local government, institutes, businesses, and organizations to lead Missoula toward Zero Waste
  1. Partner with City Council champions to develop a Missoula Zero Waste Resolution to present to City Council. [Completed in February 2016]
  2. Encourage local entities already committed to sustainability to prioritize community-wide waste reduction in their strategic objective. 
  3. Engage business community in recognizing opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship as Missoula moves toward Zero Waste. 
Investigate Community Waste Behaviors and Barriers to Waste Reduction
PictureLeo and Climate Smart's Solar Charging Kiosk created at Spon Con.
Develop an understanding of current behaviors, needs, and perceptions to support program development and steward a shift toward a culture of waste reduction in Missoula.
  1. Conduct a community survey. [Food waste survey ongoing]
  2. Host focus group discussions about waste. [Fate of the Plate held in March 2016, more events to come!]
  3. Identify behaviors and barriers that can be addressed via education, policies, and/or programs. 
Foster Community Understanding of Benefits of Waste Reduction
Identify opportunities for community education particularly in support of any new waste reduction policies adopted by the City of Missoula.
  1. Outreach to the community around waste reduction with a balance between local issues and general information. 
  2. Educate community leaders as to best practices for waste reduction incentives and disincentives for wasting.  [ongoing]
  3. Advocate for a Zero Waste community that values transparency and clarity in its waste reduction policies, programs, and practices. 

Work with City Council to adopt a Zero Waste Resolution

Passed on February 8th, 2016, the resolution:
  1. Declares to the community that the City is committed to reducing waste;
  2. Establishes a community-wide waste reduction goal and timeline with benchmarks; 
  3. Invigorate the development of policies, programs, and incentives to promote waste reduction activities and opportunities. Possibilities building on the resolution include programs to increase deconstruction practices, a community-wide food scraps composting program, bans on plastic bags and Styrofoam, expanded household hazardous waste collection, and increased opportunities for recycling.

Our Work, in a Nutshell:

Ready to get involved?

Contact the Climate Smart Missoula Leadership Team: info@climatesmartmissoula.org 
To get involved with Zero Waste Missoula, please contact Jeremy Drake (jeremy@homeresource.org) for more information.

News and Resources:

  • Summer 2016: ZWAP! Zero Waste Ambassadors Program - Home ReSource wrapped up the first semester of its fifth grade zero waste education program. Check out this infographic for more info and fun stats!
  • March 2016: Home ReSource convened the "Fate of the Plate" where over 40 stakeholders discussed reducing wasted food and keeping food out of the landfill. Check out their report! ​
  • ​February 2016: Missoula City Council passed a Zero Waste Resolution that calls for community waste reduction goals and a Zero Waste Plan. Read about it in the Missoulian!

What We're Reading:

Local Zero Waste Resources

Missoula is a model for progress! Check out Eco-cycle Solutions Zero Waste In Action Case Study #2 

See the new ZERObyFIFTY​ page to see what's happening with the City's efforts to develop a community-wide Zero Waste Plan! 

Check out this guide for Moving Missoula Toward Zero Waste via the Sustainable Business Council.

Glass recycling can be tricky in Missoula - but i.e. Recycling  is working to reuse and recycle Missoula's glass. They offer curbside pickup, too! 

Looking to recycle at your home or business? Here's some more information about your options. 

Zero Waste Missoula

Picture
Zero Waste Missoula represents the diverse support for waste reduction that already exists in our community. It is a group of Missoula businesses, nonprofits, and individuals dedicated to working with the Missoula community to conserve and recover all landfill-bound resources and to utilize discards in ways that contribute productively to natural systems and our local and regional economies. See zwia.org for a comprehensive definition of “Zero Waste”..

Zero Waste Missoula is working with the Missoula County Public Schools district to find and implement waste reduction opportunities and expand Zero Waste education programs.  Check out Home Resources Zero Waste Ambassadors Program which plans to expand to all Missoula public schools. 

Zero Waste Missoula Members: 
Heath Carey, Katie Deuel, Jeremy Drake, Becca Boslough, Kirsten Gerbatsch, Jessica Dellarossa, Bradley Layton, Jenny Mish, Martin NoRunner, Graham Roy, Beth Schenk, Stephon Smith, Will Halliburton, and Tim Zalinger