The “Zero Waste Project”, which has entered its fifth year under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s wife Emine Erdoğan, received support at the UN level and 30 March was proclaimed “International Day of Zero Waste”.
Launched five years ago under the patronage of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s wife Emine Erdoğan, The Zero Waste Project has gone beyond the borders of Türkiye and has been on the agenda of various international platforms over the years as a breakthrough development. The project includes significant steps in the battle against climate change, such as the prevention of waste generation at the local level, establishing waste sorting and recycling systems by municipalities, developing of innovative projects that reuse waste, and expanding resource-efficient production models.
In September, Emine Erdoğan met with the UN Secretary-General in New York during the UN 77th General Assembly and as part of the fight against the climate crisis, the two signed a declaration of goodwill for “Global Zero Waste”.
The declaration included the following statements:
“In order to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, acknowledging the strong link between sustainable waste management and climate change we accept measures to prevent, reduce, recycle and reuse waste generation. We are committed to implementing sustainable waste management practices.
We pledge to promote the zero waste approach worldwide and share best practices for its wider recognition and implementation. Moreover, we pledge to support zero waste initiatives, campaigns, programs, projects and activities to promote responsible waste generation and consumption.
We commit to share lessons and best practices gained from projects such as Türkiye’s Zero Waste Project, while promoting the development of similar policies on waste management. We urge UN member states, organizations of the UN system and members of civil society, the private sector, media and local governments to align strategies, approaches and responses to help accelerate the global transition to a circular economy and reduce the negative impact of waste on climate change.”
Türkiye’s “Zero Waste” Resolution Adopted at the UN General Assembly
At the last UN General Assembly meeting, the “zero waste” resolution presented by Türkiye within the scope of its plans to combat climate change and sustainable development was adopted at the UN General Assembly.
The UN General Assembly unanimously accepted the resolution that Türkiye is the main initiator and 105 countries are the joint initiators. Co-host countries include countries from different parts of the world such as Azerbaijan, United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Finland, Italy, Sweden, Japan and South Korea.
General Assembly Proclaims 30 March as International Day of Zero Waste
With the resolution taken, 30 March will be celebrated as International Day of Zero Waste. In addition, with the resolution, an advisory board will be set up taking into account gender balance and fair geographical representation to promote local and national zero waste initiatives. The board will serve for 3 years, consist of volunteers and distinguished individuals and based on knowledge, experience and expertise.
Emphasizing the need to continue to address issues such as zero waste initiatives, environmentally sensitive waste management, sustainable consumption and production within the UN body, the resolution encourages member states, the UN and other international and regional organizations to implement zero waste initiatives.
The resolution, which calls for zero waste initiatives to be included in the next Global Waste Management Outlook report of the UN Environment Programme, requests the President of the UN General Assembly to hold a high-level meeting on “zero waste” and the “10-Year Framework Program for Sustainable Production and Consumption Models” in 2023.
Zero Waste Summit on The 5th Anniversary of Zero Waste Movement
Following the adoption of the “zero-waste” resolution and International Day of Zero Waste on 30 March at the recent United Nations General Assembly meeting, “Zero Waste Summit” is being held in Istanbul under the auspices of Emine Erdoğan, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s wife.
The Summit will be held on December 23, 2022 at the Haliç Congress Center with the theme of climate and youth.
Along with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s wife Emine Erdoğan, environmental non-governmental organizations, academicians and international representatives will attend the Summit that aims youth to take action in the fight against climate change.
Local administrations, private sector entities, public authorities and media organizations that carry out best zero waste implementations are going to be rewarded at the Summit.