The intention of the hierarchy of waste management is to Step Up the ladder and reduce the amount of waste and the need of virgin resources. This is the reason we also see Lansink’s Ladder as a Zero Waste Hierarchy. The goal is to Step Up and Go Green together.

The waste hierarchy guides consumers and businesses to generate a minimum amount of waste per product. It stimulates a circular economy and it promotes sustainability because it shows opportunities for waste minimization. This results in reducing the amount of virgin materials being extracted and used for new products. Because of recycling, reusing and reducing we decrease the amount of waste in the world generated by the community, industry, and government.