Istanbul, Turkey – October 18, 2025 – In a resounding call for global environmental action, Turkish First Lady and Honorary President of the Zero Waste Foundation, Emine Erdoğan, urged the United Nations on Saturday to establish a permanent zero waste mechanism to combat the escalating waste crisis threatening planetary health. Speaking at the fourth official meeting of the UN Zero Waste High-Level Advisory Board during the ongoing Global Zero Waste Forum in Istanbul, Erdoğan positioned Türkiye as a vanguard in sustainable development, emphasizing the forum's role as the world's premier knowledge hub for zero waste initiatives.
The three-day Global Zero Waste Forum, running from October 17 to 19, 2025, at the Istanbul Congress Center, draws over 1,500 participants from more than 100 countries. Organized by the Zero Waste Foundation in partnership with Türkiye’s Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, UN-Habitat, and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the event underscores Istanbul's emergence as a global epicenter for waste reduction strategies. With sessions featuring high-level dialogues, technical workshops, and youth innovation challenges, the forum addresses critical intersections of waste management, circular economies, and climate resilience.
“The spirit we have built within our Advisory Board holds a very special place for me,” Erdoğan declared in her opening remarks, her voice resonating through a packed auditorium adorned with banners proclaiming “Zero Waste for a Sustainable Future.” “I am proud to host the world’s largest zero waste initiative.” Flanked by UN Under-Secretary-General for Policy, Anshula Kant, and UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen, Erdoğan highlighted the transformative journey of Türkiye's zero waste movement since its national launch in 2017.
She continued, “The UN General Assembly’s 2022 zero waste resolution is now UN policy and a key element of sustainable development goals. Our advisory board has been guiding the global direction of zero waste policies since 2023.” This resolution, formally adopted as A/RES/77/157, mandates member states to integrate zero waste principles into national frameworks, marking a pivotal shift from linear “take-make-dispose” models to circular economies that prioritize resource recovery and waste minimization.
Erdoğan stressed the urgency of accelerating progress toward the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. “Only five years remain to achieve the 2030 goals, and unfortunately, only 18% of targets have been reached,” she noted, citing the latest UN Sustainable Development Report 2025. “Raising awareness is crucial to accelerate progress.” This stark statistic, derived from tracking 231 indicators across 17 SDGs, reveals disproportionate lags in SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 13 (Climate Action), where waste-related emissions contribute to 8-10% of global greenhouse gases annually, according to UNEP data.
Over the past two years, the forum and advisory board have notched significant milestones. Türkiye's Zero Waste Project, under Erdoğan's stewardship, has diverted over 4.2 million tons of waste from landfills since 2017, recycling 32% of municipal solid waste and saving an estimated 1.5 billion Turkish lira ($45 million USD) in disposal costs. Globally, the board has influenced policies in 45 countries, including pilot programs in Kenya and Brazil that reduced plastic waste by 25% in urban areas. “These successes prove zero waste is not a dream but a deliverable reality,” Erdoğan affirmed.
Her centerpiece proposal: the creation of a permanent UN Zero Waste Mechanism, coordinated by UN-Habitat and UNEP, with Türkiye’s Zero Waste Foundation providing operational support. “The Zero Waste Forum should serve as the universal face and knowledge center of this platform,” she asserted. This entity would standardize global reporting, facilitate technology transfers, and mobilize $50 billion in annual financing for waste infrastructure in developing nations, per preliminary board estimates. UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach endorsed the idea, stating, “This mechanism will bridge policy gaps, ensuring zero waste becomes the backbone of urban sustainability.”
Forum Highlights: A Tapestry of Global Collaboration
The forum's agenda is a comprehensive blueprint for action. Day one focused on “Zero Waste in Policy and Governance,” with panels dissecting the UN's 2022 resolution's implementation. Dr. Maria Stella Furtado Alvim, Brazil's Environment Minister, shared how her country's adoption of zero waste audits slashed food waste by 40% in São Paulo. “Türkiye's model inspired us,” she said, crediting Erdoğan's 2019 visit that sparked bilateral agreements.
Parallel sessions delved into technical innovations. A workshop on “AI-Driven Waste Sorting” showcased Istanbul's new smart bins, equipped with sensors that achieve 95% accuracy in separating recyclables, reducing contamination rates from 30% to under 5%. UNEP's Andersen highlighted a $200 million Green Climate Fund initiative, partnering with Türkiye to deploy these technologies across 20 African cities by 2027.
Youth engagement took center stage with the “Zero Waste Innovators Challenge,” where 200 teams pitched solutions. The winning entry, a biodegradable packaging from Indian students using agricultural waste, secured $100,000 in seed funding from the Zero Waste Foundation. “Our generation demands action, not apologies,” proclaimed 18-year-old winner Priya Sharma.
Türkiye's Zero Waste Revolution: From Grassroots to Global
Emine Erdoğan's personal crusade began in 2017 amid Türkiye's mounting waste crisis: 32 million tons annually, with landfills encroaching on arable land. Launching the Zero Waste Project on August 16, 2017, at Ankara's Presidential Complex, she mobilized 81 provinces through awareness campaigns reaching 50 million citizens. Today, 98% of public institutions comply, installing 250,000 collection points. Economic ripple effects are profound: the recycling sector employs 150,000 people, generating $2.5 billion yearly, while reducing CO2 emissions by 1.2 million tons.
Scientific backing bolsters these gains. A 2024 study in Waste Management Journal quantified Türkiye's progress: per capita waste generation dropped 15% to 390 kg/year, below the EU average of 510 kg. Compost programs in rural areas have revitalized 500,000 hectares of soil, boosting agricultural yields by 20%, per Ministry of Agriculture data.
Globally, the forum spotlights waste's human cost. UN-Habitat reports 2 billion people lack waste collection, fueling disease outbreaks like cholera in informal settlements. Plastic pollution chokes oceans, with 14 million tons entering annually, per a 2025 IUCN assessment. Erdoğan's mechanism aims to halve this by 2030 through binding treaties.
Voices from the Floor: Policymakers Weigh In
International delegates praised the proposal. Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Alice Wahome, noted, “UN coordination will amplify our 50% waste reduction by 2027.” China's delegate, Li Wei, announced a $1 billion pledge for Asian tech hubs. Even skeptics, like a U.S. EPA representative, conceded, “Türkiye's data-driven approach merits emulation.”
Civil society panels amplified marginalized voices. A session on “Zero Waste for Indigenous Communities” featured Amazonian leaders discussing agroforestry models that recycle 80% of organic waste into biochar, sequestering carbon equivalent to 10,000 trees yearly.
Looking Ahead: Pathways to 2030
As the forum enters its final day on October 19, expect a landmark Istanbul Declaration endorsing Erdoğan's mechanism. Preliminary drafts outline five pillars: policy harmonization, capacity building, finance mobilization, innovation hubs, and monitoring via a UN dashboard tracking 50 indicators.
Erdoğan's closing words encapsulated the ethos: “Zero waste is not just environmental—it's a moral imperative for equity and justice.” With the UN General Assembly's November session looming, her vision could redefine global sustainability.
This forum not only cements Istanbul's legacy but propels zero waste from niche to necessity. As delegates network amid exhibits of upcycled art—sculptures from e-waste symbolizing renewal—the message is clear: time is running out, but collective will can rewrite the future.
