Spokane Zero Waste

Our mission is to change the systems that make waste by shifting the values of culture and commerce. Our vision is for Spokane to develop a culture of care and respect as it relates to the effect waste has on the environment, from everyday plastic packaging to industrial runoff. We envision building a robust circular economy that includes reuse by design as way to reduce waste in all sectors. Our top priorities are significantly reducing plastic pollution alongside increasing green waste/food composting. We are a young organization, just 1one year as a non-profit. Within that timeframe we've been awarded three different grants and have garnered the attention of the media, City Council and the Mayor with our programs. Our Executive Director served on the Sustainability Action Subcommittee which led to the passage of the Sustainability Action Plan. She also served on Mayor Brown's transitional team.

Spokane Zero Waste works to educate, advocate and legislate for waste reduction in Spokane. We run Mend-It Cafe, teach kids to sew using upcycled materials and run a project that produces items from upcycled materials. We also engage in grassroots advocacy for waste reduction policies such as increased composting, and extended producer responsibility or manufacturing stewardship policies. For the Expo '74 celebration we'll be piloting a low-impact waste policy designed to reduce waste at all Spokane City and Parks events.