Which best describes a core principle of zero waste?

The core principle of zero waste emphasizes maximizing resource recovery while minimizing waste. This approach seeks to redesign resource life cycles so that all products are reused and made to be inherently sustainable, reducing or eliminating waste created in the production process, consumption, and disposal phases.

By focusing on resource recovery, zero waste advocates promote practices that prioritize recycling, composting, and other forms of resource repurposing over disposal in landfills or incinerators. The ultimate goal of zero waste is to create a closed-loop system where the environmental impact is minimized, and materials are continuously reused.

The other choices do not align with the zero waste philosophy. For example, promoting single-use products contradicts the fundamental goal of reducing waste and resource use. Similarly, prioritizing commercial waste management industries or utilizing incineration as a primary solution moves away from the zero waste concept, which advocates for minimizing waste generation in the first place, rather than managing it post-factum.