"The United States Conference of Mayors adopts a definition of Zero Waste, and set of Zero Waste principles, that recognizes a Hierarchy of Material Management as follows: 

• Extended Producer Responsibility and Product Redesign
• Reduce Waste, Toxicity, Consumption, and Packaging
• Repair, Reuse and Donate
• Recycle
• Compost
• Down Cycle and Beneficial Reuse
• Waste-Based Energy as disposal
• Landfill Waste as disposal..."

See full article at: http://www.usmayors.org/83rdAnnualMeeting/displayresolution.asp?resid=83aReso050