What Zero Waste Washington does

Zero Waste Washington is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit policy advocacy organization founded in 1982 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with a staff of 1-10 employees and operations focused exclusively on Washington State. The organization advances waste reduction, recycling reform, and toxic-chemicals policy through three integrated activities: (1) legislative advocacy and coalition leadership, including stewardship of the Plastic-Free Washington Coalition and the passage of the 2020 statewide reusable bag law and the 2025 Recycling Reform Act; (2) applied research and pilot projects, such as PFAS testing of commercial compost with Purdue University, phthalate sampling near Puget Sound Superfund sites, and farm plastic-waste reduction across 14 Washington counties; and (3) community programs including toxic-product swap-outs that distributed more than 1,600 safer products to over 300 families, the PreCycle Innovation Challenge, the Zero Waste Innovation Hackathon, and the Milk Dispenser pilot in King County schools.

The organization does not develop commercial technology products; its operations run on standard third-party tools (Mailchimp for email outreach, WordPress for web content, Stripe for donation processing, Google Workspace for document and email). It does not employ AI/ML capabilities. Revenue is generated through four streams: individual donations at tiered levels from $20 to $1,000+ (tax-deductible under 501(c)(3) status), annual government membership dues from Washington municipalities and counties at $75 to $6,000, multi-year government and foundation grants (US EPA via WA Department of Ecology, King County WTD Waterworks, Rose Foundation, EPA National Estuary Program, WA Department of Health), and event-related revenue from summits, hackathons, and the annual holiday party. The go-to-market motion is community-led: the organization mobilizes thousands of email subscribers and coalition partners to drive policy outcomes through grassroots activism, legislative action alerts, and public education campaigns.

Name

Zero Waste Washington

Legal name

Zero Waste Washington

Website

https://zerowastewashington.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Zero Waste Washington is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1982 that drives Washington State policy on waste reduction, recycling, and toxic chemicals through legislative advocacy, applied research, pilot projects, and community organizing for individual supporters, local governments, and community organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Policy Advocacy Services

NAICS

Remediation and Other Waste Management Services (5629), All Other Waste Management Services (56299)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Hazardous Waste Management (4955)

akta.pro primary industry

Circular Economy & Waste/Materials Reporting (Zero waste, packaging) (EUAHAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Waste Management & Hazardous Waste Compliance (RCRA, Universal Waste, Waste Characterization/Manifests) (EUAHABAC), Solid Waste & Recycling Services Administration (BPAIACAH)

Keywords

• Environmental policy advocacy
• Waste reduction programs
• Recycling reform legislation
• Toxic chemicals policy
• Community organizing

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute one-time or recurring donations at tiered levels (Champion $1,000, Hero $500, Advocate $200, Friend $100, Household $50, Individual $30, Limited Income $20). Donations are tax-deductible as the organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
2. Government Memberships: Government entities (municipalities, counties) pay tiered membership fees ranging from $75 (small government under 100,000 population) to $6,000 (major government over 1,000,000 population). Sponsoring government tiers range from $500 to $10,000 sponsorships.
3. Government Grants: Zero Waste Washington receives grant funding from government agencies including the Washington State Department of Ecology (Public Participation Grant), US EPA (via WA Dept of Ecology), King County WTD (Waterworks grant), and WA State Department of Health.
4. Event Revenue: Revenue generated from events such as the annual holiday party, hackathon programs, and educational workshops. The Zero Waste Innovation Hackathon also attracted sponsor contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Zero Waste Washington is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit policy advocacy organization that drives waste reduction, recycling reform, and toxic chemicals legislation in Washington State. Its core work includes legislative advocacy campaigns, original research and publications, grant-funded community pilot projects (farm waste reduction, product swap-outs, school milk dispensers), the PreCycle Innovation Challenge hackathon, and government membership and technical assistance programs for local jurisdictions.

Product overview

Zero Waste Washington is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on environmental policy advocacy and waste reduction in Washington State. The organization does not offer a commercial product or software platform. Its activities include legislative advocacy, conducting research on recycling and toxic chemicals, piloting community projects (such as Fix-it Fairs and the Zero Waste Innovation Hackathon), publishing newsletters and educational resources, organizing product swap events, and providing facility tours. The organization operates programs addressing plastic pollution, toxic chemicals, resource depletion, and construction/demolition waste. Key initiatives include the Zero Waste Hackathon (a student innovation competition), the Furniture Repair Bank, farm waste reduction projects, and various legislative efforts to pass zero waste laws at city, county, and state levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Government Membership Program Tiered annual membership program for Washington State cities, counties, and public health districts. Membership tiers range from $75 (small government under 100,000 population) to $6,000 (major government over 1,000,000 population), with additional sponsoring tiers from $500 to $10,000. Members receive policy models, technical assistance on zero waste ordinances, and access to grant-funded programs.
• PreCycle Innovation Challenge (Zero Waste Innovation Hackathon) Student-facing innovation hackathon / competition program that develops zero waste solutions. Attracts sponsor contributions and engages participants in developing waste reduction innovations.
• Farm Waste Reduction Program Grant-funded pilot program helping farmers reduce agricultural plastic waste through durable nursery tray cost-share (e.g., Winstrip trays), reusable box trials, and recycling collection events in partnership with county conservation districts and recyclers like DTG Recycle. Includes interviews with over 50 farmers across 14 Washington counties.
• Toxic Product Swap-Out Program Community-facing program that distributes safer cookware and household products to families from refugee and immigrant communities, replacing PFAS- and lead-contaminated items. Delivered in partnership with NAAPR, Duwamish River Community Coalition, City of Kent, and other community organizations, resulting in 1,600+ safer products swapped to 300+ families.

Quantifiable outcome

• States with bottle bills have documented ~80% reduction in beverage container litter
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Washington State Department of EcologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary government partner providing Public Participation Grant funding for multiple Zero Waste Washington projects including farm waste reduction, construction and demolition waste research, and community outreach programs. The Department of Ecology also administers the Use Food Well campaign in which Zero Waste Washington participates.
• Duwamish River Community CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner on youth environmental health project focused on laundry behavior and toxic chemical awareness in South Park neighborhood of Seattle. Youth cohort conducted behavioral research, created educational materials, and produced multilingual videos.
• New Americans Alliance for Policy and Research (NAAPR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on youth policy leadership and toxic chemical awareness project serving refugee and immigrant communities from Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. NAAPR recruited youth for policy council, conducted in-language community trainings, and organized swap-out events.
• King County Water Treatment Division (WTD)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided Waterworks grant funding supporting the laundry behavior project with youth cohort, including facility tours of Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station and Brightwater Treatment Plant.
• Latino Northwest CommunicationssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultimedia partner providing professional training to youth interns on script writing, video production, music video creation, and public service announcement production for laundry behavior education campaign.
• DTG Recycle / DTG SpectrumsecondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollection site partner for farm nursery tray and pot recycling events at locations in Renton, Woodinville, Bremerton, and Tacoma.
• Viva Farms Business Incubator ProgramsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner network through which Aash Farms and other pilot participants accessed the durable nursery tray cost-share program. Zero Waste Washington worked with Viva Farms to reach farmer networks across 14 counties.
• US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded the toxic product swap-out project via Washington State Department of Ecology, with the goal of removing PFAS- and lead-contaminated household products from circulation in Snohomish, Kitsap, Pierce, and King counties.
• Purdue UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner on PFAS in compost study, testing commercial compost samples from Washington, Oregon, California, Massachusetts, and North Carolina for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
• Washington State Legislature / Legislative ChampionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey legislative champions including Sen. Liz Lovelett, Rep. Liz Berry, Rep. Monica Stonier, Rep. Davina Duerr, Rep. Beth Doglio, Rep. Jer出口斜, and many others who sponsor and champion zero waste legislation advocated by the organization.
• Furniture Repair BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpin-off nonprofit founded by Xenia Dolovova at Zero Waste Washington; provides free refurbished furniture to families in need. Zero Waste Washington co-located at the same SODO warehouse space. Founded 2025 as independent 501(c)(3).
• King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish Counties and Conservation DistrictscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-year farm waste reduction partnership with counties and conservation districts across western Washington to help farmers reduce agricultural plastic waste through durable tray cost-share, reusable box trials, and recycling collection events.
• Plastic-Free Washington CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of partners coordinated by Zero Waste Washington to support passage of statewide plastic reduction legislation including bag bans and bottle bill.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Club: Largest grassroots environmental organization in the United States, engaging in policy advocacy on climate, conservation, and waste issues. Comparable as a broad-based environmental advocacy incumbent with legislative campaign infrastructure.
• Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): Large national environmental advocacy organization working on climate, toxics, and waste policy. Comparable mission broadly but operates at much greater scale across multiple issue areas, representing the larger-incumbent parallel.

Regional players

• Washington Environmental Council: Washington State-based environmental advocacy nonprofit that drives state and federal policy on climate, clean energy, and environmental protection. Comparable as a Washington-focused advocacy peer operating in overlapping policy domains.

Direct peers

• Surfrider Foundation: Nonprofit environmental organization that engages in grassroots activism, policy advocacy, and beach/water cleanups, including significant work on plastic pollution and recycling policy at the state level.
• Plastic Pollution Coalition: Global alliance of organizations working to end plastic pollution through policy, education, and advocacy. Comparable as a coalition-led advocacy nonprofit targeting plastic and waste legislation.
• Beyond Plastics: National nonprofit advocacy organization focused on ending plastic pollution through policy change. Comparable as a mission-aligned advocacy nonprofit using research, legislative engagement, and grassroots mobilization to drive plastic-reduction policy.
• Container Recycling Institute: Nonprofit organization focused exclusively on beverage container recycling and bottle bill policy. Directly comparable given Zero Waste Washington's origin as a bottle bill advocacy campaign.
• Earth Island Institute: Nonprofit incubator and advocacy organization supporting environmental projects and policy campaigns. Comparable as a sponsor/incubator of mission-driven environmental advocacy initiatives.
• UPSTREAM: Nonprofit policy organization focused on preventing waste and plastic pollution at the source through producer responsibility and policy advocacy. Highly comparable mission, operating model, and policy-advocacy positioning.
• Eco-Cycle: Boulder, Colorado-based nonprofit that drives zero waste policy, recycling infrastructure, and community programs. Highly comparable as a state/regional zero-waste advocacy organization with similar research, policy, and pilot activities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/zerowastewa
• Facebookfacebook.com/ZeroWasteWashington
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zerowastewashington
• Instagraminstagram.com/zerowastewashington

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zero Waste Washington