February 27, 2009—The first Zero Waste Zone in the Southeast and one of the first in the nation is being launched in Atlanta, Georgia, by a partnership comprised of Atlanta Recycles, the Green Foodservice Alliance, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4, the Pollution Prevention Assistance Division of the Department of Natural Resources, and others.
Zero Waste Zones are designed to reduce the environmental impact of waste in homes, workplaces and in the community, and to combat the statistic that 82 percent of the materials disposed of in landfills are recoverable products such as paper, organics and plastics.
Phase One of the Zero Waste Zone will focus on downtown Atlanta’s convention district and participating foodservice operations. More than ten participants, including the Georgia World Congress Center, the Hyatt Regency and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, have already pledged to recycle, reuse spent grease for the local production of biofuel and compost, or donate food residuals to drastically decrease the amount of waste going to landfills.
In addition, Levy Restaurants, the official foodservice operator of the Georgia World Congress Center and the Georgia Dome, signed a contract with Washington, DC-based EnviRelations, LLC to begin composting food items from the two facilities for the next year. Each month, approximately 34 tons of organic materials will be diverted from landfills and more than 20 tons of compost will be created.
In Phase Two, Atlanta Recycles and the Green Foodservice Alliance will develop a model and collateral material to help expand the program to other locations in the convention district. Decals with the Zero Waste Zone brand will be developed and distributed to participants for education of the staff and public.
Phase Three will include expansion of the Zero Waste Zones outside of the downtown convention district to locations including Buckhead, Midtown, and other surrounding communities, and Phase Four will expand to other areas of Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation.
