Unwasted presents the alluring ideal of zero waste as a key element of the sustainable business model. While some may shake their heads thinking this an impossible task, it’s worth remembering that mankind had a zero waste lifestyle up until about 100 years ago. There were no plastic wraps around the food you bought, and virtually every scrap, be it fabric, paper, wood, or metal, was repeatedly reused; creatively refashioned into new products. The same cannot be said for our modern way of life…

“Businesses around the globe produce nearly as much waste as they do product — almost 110 million tons annually in the US alone. Washington State spent more than 500 million dollars on waste disposal, recycling, and composting in 2009. But what is the real cost to business and the community?”  the film asks. The film was produced in 2011 by Seattle-based, green facility maintenance firm Sage Environmental Services2 in partnership with PorterWorks,3 a sustainable solutions company. It features interviews with industry leaders, policy-makers, activists, scientists, and business professionals from the Pacific Northwest region who are leading the charge toward a “less wasteful, more profitable and environmentally sustainable society.” In it, you’ll also learn practical recycling tips that anyone can implement. As stated in the film, nature does not create waste. Humans (and more specifically modern man) are the only animal on Earth that creates waste that nature cannot process… And we’re doing it at a staggering rate. Discarded trash is clearly one of the most pressing environmental issues facing us today.