Turkish Zero Waste Movement marks seventh year
With initiatives spanning seven continents, the programme has achieved significant economic and ecological gains.
Erdogan spoke via video conference at the second meeting of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Board of Eminent Persons on Zero Waste, which she chairs, on June 6. / Photo: AA Archive
The Zero Waste Movement, launched in 2017 under the patronage of Turkish First Lady Emine Erdoğan and coordinated by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, is celebrating its seventh anniversary.
The movement's anniversary was celebrated on Friday with the slogan "7 Years, 7 Continents," reflecting its global reach and environmental impact.
Since its inception, the initiative has contributed to establishing 46 waste storage, sorting, and transfer facilities across Türkiye, helping to process 9,000 tonnes of waste daily into products or energy.
Recycling rates increased from 13 percent in 2017 to 34.92 percent in 2023. The movement aims to raise this rate to 60 percent by 2035, with a focus on preventing waste generation, collecting waste at the source, and improving recycling and resource efficiency.
193,000 buildings in Türkiye are now part of the Zero Waste Management System.
To date, the programme has recovered 59.9 million tonnes of recyclable waste, returning 185 billion Turkish lira to the economy. It has also saved 127 million barrels of oil, along with 104 million cubic metres of landfill space.
The programme saved 498 million trees, conserved 819 million cubic metres of water, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 5.9 million tonnes.
Global action
The Zero Waste Project is a state policy in Türkiye, with regulation coming into effect in 2019. It was also included in the 11th Development Plan spanning the years 2019-2023 and featured in 10 national action plans and strategy documents over the past seven years.
In a significant international milestone, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution in December 2022, led by Türkiye and co-sponsored by 105 countries, declaring 30 March as the International Day of Zero Waste.
Next year, Emine Erdogan was invited by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to attend Zero Waste Day events. At the inaugural UN zero waste meeting, Erdogan became the chairperson of the UN Advisory Board of Eminent Persons on Zero Waste upon Guterres' proposal.
Türkiye's project has earned numerous international awards. In 2018, it received the "Zero Waste, Zero Hunger" award from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
In 2021, the UN Development Programme awarded it with the "Sustainable Development Goals Award," and UN-Habitat recognised it as a "Waste Wise Cities Global Champion."
More recently, it was honoured with an award from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean and the World Bank's "Climate and Development Leadership Award" in 2022.
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