In 2005, the Palo Alto City Council adopted a Zero Waste Resolution and Strategic Plan, setting new goals for the community in handling solid waste for the future. This strategy aligns well with the State of California’s goal of achieving zero waste statewide by 2025. It also considers local needs: the City of Palo Alto (City) landfill will close in 2011. To achieve Zero Waste, Cascadia examined existing waste streams in Palo Alto and identified opportunities for additional waste prevention, reuse, recycling, and composting. Cascadia produced detailed waste composition and quantity information for the Sunnyvale Materials Recovery and Transfer (SMaRT) Station residuals in addition to four waste sectors (single-family residential, mixed commercial/multi-family residential, industrial, and self-haul). Using methods like hand-sorting, visual characterization, and computer-based modeling, Cascadia also provided detailed waste composition and quantity information for each sector as well as industry groups.