City officials, residents aim to eliminate unnecessary trash during 'Zero Waste Week'
Gainesville leaders are continuing their goal to say goodbye to unnecessary piles of garbage during a fourth annual week of waste reduction awareness.
The Gainesville City Commission at its Jan. 19 meeting announced the proclamation declaring Jan. 22-29 as Zero Waste Week, where city officials host a series of events and education initiatives highlighting an effort to divert 90% of waste from landfills by 2040. The week also includes special sales at select businesses, events and sustainability workshops to encourage community-wide participation.
The effort has been spearheaded by Zero Waste Gainesville, a community organization dedicated to lobbying and advocating for local waste reduction. The initiative was originally launched in 2020 as a means of involving officials and community members in what it means to be “zero waste.”
“It’s looking around your house or your apartment and saying, ‘Hey, look at all this stuff going in my trash can. Are there ways to reduce my single-use plastics?’” said Nina Bhattacharyya, co-chair of the group. “Ditch the paper towels and go with reusable cloths.”
Bhattacharyya said she hopes the week serves as an educational guide for locals the organization intended for Zero Waste Week to serve as an educational tool geared at local officials and spreading misconceptions.
For businesses and restaurants, going zero waste can mean reducing the use of single-use plastics for customers. For individuals, it's also about repurposing household items instead of throwing them away.
Waste is the silent killer in the climate crisis, Bhattacharyya argues, adding that unchecked buildup can damage natural resources and diminish air and water quality.
“It’s so connected to our lives, and in a lot of cases, people just don’t even see it,” Bhattacharyya said.
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Reducing waste citywide
Over the past few years, the city has banned plastic straws and reduced the use of plastic utensils. A previous commission also attempted to pass a ban on single-use plastic bags at grocery stores and retailers, though a court ruling blocked the ordinance from taking effect.
Local organizations Zero Waste, The Repurpose Project and Life Unplastic have all pushed for those changes.
City Commissioner Bryan Eastman, who is married to Bhattacharyya, said the top-down policies aim to revitalize local practices. Though individual contributions can make all the difference, Eastman said the ultimate answer starts with a total community overhaul.
“Systemic issues require systemic solutions,” he said. “If we want to address this at a community-wide level, we have to start changing how we do things.”
Those changes include major adjustments to Gainesville’s sustainability landscape. The commission’s Zero Waste Subcommittee has proposed several ordinances for solid waste and clarified recycling guidelines since it began to meet regularly in 2020, including a comprehensive zero waste ordinance passed in June 2022.
Per the ordinance, the commission requires local restaurants and food pantries to donate or compost their extra food and limit the distribution of single-use plastics — like straws and utensils — to reach the city's waste diversion goal of 90%.
Mike Heimbach, Gainesville’s sustainability manager, said he knows the goal is a tall order. But city officials are optimistic the community can achieve it, he added.
“We have a community that’s very dedicated to reducing waste,” Heimbach said. “It really made a perfect situation where we could move forward.”
Community outreach is the key component of waste reduction and Zero Waste Week. While the adjustment to a zero-waste lifestyle can take some getting used to, Bhattacharyya said the payoff — and the sight of an empty garage can — is ultimately worth the growing pains.
“Once you do it, it just becomes second nature,” she said. “It’s something very concrete people can do where you can actually see the change.”
As part of Zero Waste Week, the organization will host a puzzle and board game swamp at Life Unplastic, located at 2441 NW 43rd St., on Friday from noon to 7 p.m.
A zero waste workshop at The Repurpose Project, located at 1920 NE 23rd Ave., will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. The organization also offers year-round mechanisms to reduce waste.
A variety of tools on the Zero Waste website — including a supermarket survey report and an interactive map displaying local markets, donation spots, restaurants and other businesses — encourage sustainability at the individual level.
Bhattacharyya said this comes down to lifestyle choices, and it can be as easy as a second glance at the trash bin.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Gainesville officials aim to eliminate trash for Zero Waste Week
