Zero Waste Initiative

Formed in 2010 in a partnership between Rural Action and the Voinovich School, the Appalachia Ohio Zero Waste Initiative worked with stakeholders in the Athens-Hocking Solid Waste District to create a ten-year Zero Waste Action Plan. The plan lays out short-term and long-term steps to reach zero waste in Athens and Hocking Counties. Stakeholder interviews and community forums were a key part of plan development. With funding from the Sugar Bush Foundation, working groups came together to address the issues surrounding access to recycling, education and outreach, illegal dumping and burning, and business development.