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Missoula proclaims Zero Waste Action Month after city reports 31% waste‑reduction benchmark
Summary
Mayor Andrea Davis proclaimed April 2026 Zero Waste Action Month. City resilience staff and Home Resource told the Council the city met a 31% waste‑reduction benchmark last year, announced a May pilot to divert building materials, and said a fuller report will appear in committee this week.
Mayor Andrea Davis on Tuesday proclaimed April 2026 Zero Waste Action Month and thanked local partners after a City of Missoula presentation showing progress toward the city's “0 by 50” waste‑reduction goals.
Lee Radderman, a community resilience specialist with the city, and Kelly Hess of Home Resource told the council the city has reached its 2025 benchmark: a 31% reduction in the community’s waste footprint compared with the baseline used for the 0 by 50 plan. “Ring the bell everyone because we hit 31% last year,” Hess said, citing consolidated data supplied by recyclers, composters, trash haulers and reuse organizations.
Nut graf: The presentation framed the result as the product of public‑private partnership and expanded data collection rather than a single program. City and nonprofit speakers said they will present a fuller roadmap update in committee on Wednesday and highlighted immediate, local steps to keep momentum.
Hess said Home Resource diverted more than 1.2 million pounds of building materials last year and will pilot a “last‑chance donations” site on Public Works property beginning May 1, where staff will check vehicles and trailers for reusable building materials and route them to Home Resource instead of landfill. Radderman described the pilot as an effort to reduce barriers for donors who are already driving to the landfill.
Council members praised the partnership. Council member Krasque said the data collection and collaboration were critical; Council member Campbell called the reported success “amazing.” The presenters urged residents to consult Home Resource calendars for more than 20 events planned during April and said committee members will get a deeper briefing Wednesday.
The council did not take formal action on the presentation; the Zero Waste Action Month proclamation and the committee briefing were informational. The pilot program and roadmap update were described as implementation steps to be monitored in committee and by city staff.
Ending: Home Resource and city staff will return to the council's committee meeting Wednesday for a detailed presentation; residents interested in donating materials or attending events were directed to Home Resource and city web pages for schedules and further details.
