Towards Zero Waste Accelerator
The C40 Zero Waste Declaration commits cities to advancing toward zero-waste systems through two primary targets: (1) reducing municipal solid waste generation per capita by at least 15% by 2030 compared with 2015 levels, and (2) cutting the amount of municipal solid waste sent to landfill and incineration by at least 50% by 2030, while increasing diversion from landfill and incineration to at least 70% over the same period.
To achieve these ambitious goals, the initiative outlines a range of actions. These include reducing food loss and waste at retail and consumer levels by minimizing losses across production and supply chains, limiting surplus food generation, and facilitating safe food donation and the use of by-products in food production. Cities also commit to implementing source-separated collection of food scraps and other organic materials, alongside treatment infrastructure that recovers nutrients.
The initiative further supports local and regional policies, such as extended producer responsibility and sustainable procurement, to reduce or ban single-use and non-recyclable plastics and other materials, while improving product reparability and recyclability. In addition, it promotes increased reduction, reuse, recovery, and recycling of construction and demolition materials.
To ensure broad participation, the declaration emphasizes expanding accessibility, awareness, scale, and inclusivity of waste reduction and recycling programs across all communities and neighborhoods. This includes investing in citywide communication and engagement, providing resources in multiple languages, and ensuring that benefits are distributed equitably across the population. Cities participating in the initiative publicly report every two years on their progress toward these targets.
