Road to Zero Waste/Environmental Science Tours and Presentations

The first step in understanding zero waste is understanding how materials flow through our society. With industrialization and convenience-based products, this flow has become increasingly linear – more and more raw materials are extracted from the earth, then manufactured, consumed and all too quickly, disposed of in landfills. This pattern leaves us with a one-way fast-track of valuable resources straight into the ground. Zero Waste is a movement towards a more circular flow of materials – a cycle in which the value and useable life of raw materials are extended through reduction, reuse, recycling and composting. Nature absorbs Zero Waste materials valuable nutrients or the market economy absorbs them as valuable commodities. Disposal into landfills is a last resort.

In Teton County, as in other communities with the goal of zero waste, it’s important to understand that “zero” is an ideal. Achieving this ideal involves incremental goals with measurable targets. The Teton County Road to Zero Waste Plan identifies the initial goal of 60 percent waste diversion from landfill or incineration by the year 2030. This will be a 26 percent increase from our current diversion rate of 34 percent. As technologies develop and processes evolve, the ability to achieve 100 percent diversion, or true zero, will become more possible.

Guiding Principles of the Teton County Zero Waste Resolution

Managing resources instead of waste
Conserving natural resources through waste prevention and recycling
Turning discarded resources into jobs and new products instead of trash
Promoting products and materials that are durable and recyclable
Discouraging products and materials that can only become trash after their use
Using education as a tool to maximize community engagement

Advancing on the Road to Zero Waste will build upon proven success while providing guidelines for continued achievement over the next fifteen years. In 2015, over 86 million pounds of discarded materials were generated in Teton County. Of this total, nearly 30 million pounds of material were recycled, composted or recovered through reuse. Accomplishing the initial Road to Zero Waste plan goal of 60 percent by 2030 will mean the diversion of an additional 23 million pounds from the landfill. Reaching this total will require expanded community outreach, improved facilities and more convenient opportunities for diversion.

During the first five years of the Plan, the focus will be on building a strong foundation. Initiatives may include the expansion of commercial cardboard recycling, raised awareness of food waste reduction, implementation of commercial food waste composting, incentives for the diversion of construction and demolition waste, residential waste collection fees that reward diversion, and recognition of Zero Waste events and initiatives.

The following ten years of the plan will focus on enhancing the convenience, availability and efficiency of new and existing waste diversion opportunities. Longer-term implementation includes possible expansion of curbside collection of recyclables, increased yard waste collection and recycling services that require less sorting.

Science Standards This Program Meets

About Teton County Integrated Solid Waste and Recycling

The first step in understanding zero waste is understanding how materials flow through our society. With industrialization and convenience-based products, this flow has become increasingly linear – more and more raw materials are extracted from the earth, then manufactured, consumed and all too quickly, disposed of in landfills. This pattern leaves us with a one-way fast-track of valuable resources straight into the ground. Zero Waste is a movement towards a more circular flow of materials – a cycle in which the value and useable life of raw materials are extended through reduction, reuse, recycling and composting. Nature absorbs Zero Waste materials valuable nutrients or the market economy absorbs them as valuable commodities. Disposal into landfills is a last resort. The Reduce, Reuse, Recycle campaign, which started in 2005, aims to reduce Jackson Hole’s consumption of resources and landfill bound waste through creative educational and awareness-raising activities targeting residents and businesses alike, aiming for a less wasteful and more sustainable community.

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Who	K-12 students and adults
What	Reduce, Reuse, Recycling Education
When	All Year
Where	Anywhere in Teton County
Why	Teton County is uniquely positioned to serve as a regional and national leader in Zero Waste. As home to the Tetons and a destination for over 3.5 million annual visitors to this treasured natural landscape, we are poised to inform and influence a broad audience.