The concept of zero waste has therefore been derived from
Whitehead’s ‘cultivated modes of thought’. The laws of science
teach us that matter can be neither created nor destroyed,
although it can be rearranged. This leads us to consider what is
waste? For example, in European terms it means that which is
discarded, although this simple definition would seem to be at
odds with the concept of zero waste – the only way to achieve
zero waste is to avoid consumption.