ZERO WASTE ZONE - Downtown Atlanta

The Zero Waste Zone ~ Downtown Atlanta is an Atlanta Recycles project in partnership with the Green Foodservice Alliance.  The geographic area of the ZWZ is the downtown Atlanta convention district where a tremendous tonnage of “waste” is sent to landfills that could otherwise be recycled into new products. The charter participants represent the largest foodservice operations in the area, including convention facilities, event and entertainment venues, hotels and restaurants.

ZWZ Participants pledge to comply with the following criteria:

• Recycling of common recyclables (paper, cardboard, metals, glass and plastics)
• Recycling of spent grease (from kitchen fryers) to be used in the local production of bio-fuel.
  
• Donation of excess edible food in compliance with the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act to organizations that feed the hungry.
  
• Composting of food residuals (organic food waste).

The goal of the Zero Waste Zone is to decrease the amount of waste going to landfills and to increase the beneficial use of things that otherwise may be thrown away.

Click here to see CNN's coverage as part of its Earth Week celebration.