Zero Waste Arlington announces the launch of its website www.zerowastearlington.org. The site will aid the Town committee in its efforts to foster greater participation in all forms of waste reduction in Arlington and thereby improve health and restore the environment.

“The website will provide an effective tool for educating residents and inspiring them to take action,” remarked Priya Sankalia, co-chair of Zero Waste Arlington.“We go beyond recycling containers, paper and packaging and promote practices such as refusing, reducing, reusing, and rotting (composting). These additional habits lead to less waste, particularly single-use plastic waste.”

As an education-focused committee, Zero Waste Arlington works with the Department of Public Works to effect change and support waste reduction in the Arlington community. Zero Waste Arlington initiated the ban on the sale and distribution of bottled water that will begin November 2022 (pending approval from the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office). Additional initiatives include ‘Arlington on Tap,’ which seeks to develop and promote a network of public water filling stations in Arlington, and ‘No Plastic, Please’, a partnership with restaurants that reduces customer accumulation of wasteful single-use items while saving restaurants money.

“Zero Waste Arlington is an essential partner to the Town of Arlington,” commented Charlotte Milan, Town of Arlington Recycling Coordinator. “Their expertise and mission align with the Town’s goals to reduce municipal waste, create educational campaigns and work with state leaders to make impactful changes.”

Zero Waste is a lifestyle change that minimizes the human burden on our planet. Whereas recycling primarily focuses on post-consumption behavior, Zero Waste is about conscious pre-consumption choices. While it is a personal and household choice that one might associate with recycling, Zero Waste behavior demands a much more comprehensive outlook.

The Zero Waste Arlington committee is composed of volunteer members appointed by the Town Moderator, one Town employee designated by the Town Manager and a number of community volunteers who work on various initiatives. Formerly known as the Arlington Recycling Committee, the group changed their name in 2019 to better align with their mission. For more information and ways to get involved, stop by the Zero Waste Arlington booth at Town Day on September 17th or visit www.zerowastearlington.org.