The Marin Joint Powers Authority (JPA) approached the Hive with one ambitious goal: make Marin a zero waste zone by 2025 and literally stop adding garbage to landfills by that date. For a goal like this, messaging alone wouldn’t work—we needed to incite a change in behavior.

So we created ZeroWasteMarin.org, the online hub that helps Marin residents transition to a planet-loving, zero-waste lifestyle. We created a series of 30-day challenges that ask people to give up one specific item that’s a major burden on the environment. Through text message reminders, tips, resources and email encouragement, we created a support structure for residents. These online tools help people gradually make small, simple choices that change their daily behaviors to more sustainable ones. Like choosing a reusable water bottle over a disposable one, or bringing a coffee thermos for their morning latte.

To generate awareness and drive traffic to the site, TV commercials imagined a future without trash by creating the “Zero Waste Museum of 2025.” In the museum, viewers can find plastic bottles, junk mail, and other wasteful things that have gone extinct by then. Online banners reinforced the importance of the goal and inspired residents to sign up for a challenge.

At the end of each challenge, monthly progress reports are posted on the site. Users can view the most active cities, see how the community’s efforts are paying off as a whole, and see how much trash is being diverted daily.