Zero Waste Washington
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Zero Waste Washington drives policy change for a healthy and waste free world. We envision a just, equitable, and sustainable future where we all produce, consume, and reuse responsibly. We are the publics voice for zero waste. We educate the public and decision makers about waste prevention, recycling, toxic pollution and producer responsibility.
- Income
- $1.3 million
- Spending
- $883,922
- Spent on programs
- 90%
- Reserves
- 25.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 60%
- Employees
- 23
- Volunteers
- 200
- Highest pay
- $84,976, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 100 out of 100.
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 25.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 33% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 42% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1590% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 5 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 85 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 2511 of 11 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (4)
- $370,362 spent. Building the Movement, Community programs and Communications Zero Waste Washington partners with many community organizations to provide programming to encourage recycling, reduce waste and support a circular economy, and to support reuse of items . Our Furniture Repair Bank project began to process to spin off into a new nonprofit In this innovative program, damaged furniture that is on the path to the landfill, is rescued. Volunteers repair and restore the furniture which is delivered to families in need, free of charge. In partnership with Seattle Good Business Network, we hosted a series of PreCycle materials exchange forums around the state, where local business and organizations connected to learn about waste and byproduct materials that can be exchanged. This is the classic situation of one persons trash is anothers treasure. Statewide, we delivered presentations to bolster the growing zero waste movement both through individual and collective actions, as well as policy solutions. We regularly communicated with our members and others through newsletters and social media.
- $202,994 spent. State and Local Policy In 2024, Zero Waste Washington worked with partners and hundreds of Washington residents to support more than 15 zero waste-related bills. Six passed into law. A second major food and yard waste bill the 1st one passed in 2022 mandates that single-family residents in urbanized areas of Washington must put their food and yard waste in curbside compost bins or do their own composting by 2030. The bill also establishes grant programs to facilitate recovery of surplus food so that food is getting to hungry people, rather than being landfilled or composted. The new law helps Washington achieve its goals to divert organic material from landfills so that we can reduce the generation of methane gas at landfills. Other bills banned mercury-containing lightbulbs, allowed for composting of cannabis waste rather than sending to the landfill, banned lead in cookware, addressed toxic 6PPD in tires, and reduced illegal dumping impacts. We served on the WA Solid Waste Advisory Committee and other committees and provided important environmental policy recommendations.
- $170,294 spent. Plastic Pollution and Toxic Chemical Reduction Zero Waste Washington works to prevent plastic pollution, strengthen recycling, and reduce toxic chemicals, while providing research and policy recommendations to local communities and state legislators. In 2024, we launched a project to help farmers reduce their plastic waste burden. Managing plastic waste presents substantial challenges for farmers because of limited recycling options and the lack of sustainable disposal methods. We interviewed 59 farmers across 14 counties to inform four pilot projects planned for 2025 to test ways to reduce plastic waste. In addition, we concluded our project providing mini-grants to King County restaurants and coffee shops to fund their switch from single-use disposables to durable, reusables plates, cups, glasses and cutlery. In collaboration with the Duwamish River Community Coalition, we launched a project to bring water refill stations to Mt Rainier National Park. And we started a project to provide bulk milk dispensers at King Co schools to replace milk cartons which are not recyclable.
- Program Service Expenses 50,426, Grants and allocations 0, Revenue 0 Research to Support Zero Waste Zero Waste Washington conducts scientific and technical research on waste to support important policy decisions. In 2024, we collaborated with community groups to assess the types and weight of plastic and other litter making its way from land to our waterways, ultimately creating microplastics. We documented that plastic items make up most of the litter found. These studies will enable us to provide evidence to the EPA regarding the need for designating plastics as a pollutant under the Clean Water Act. We worked to support Duwamish Valley Youth Corps cadets as they built their job skills and conducted research related to messaging about toxic chemicals in household products. This messaging will help our effort, working with local jurisdictions and other partners, to conduct swap-out events providing replacement items for specific household products containing flame retardants, lead, cadmium, PFAS, or phthalate plasticizers in 2025-27. We worked on toxic chemical reduction policies in partnership with New Americans Alliance for Policy and Research.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since September 1982.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.