In response to the worsening impacts of waste on human health, the economy and the environment, the world on March 30, 2023 marked the inaugural International Day of Zero Waste, which encourages everyone to prevent and minimise waste and promotes a societal shift towards a circular economy. In his message, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “By treating nature like a dumping ground, we are digging our own graves. It is time to reflect on the toll that waste is taking on our planet — and to find solutions to this gravest of threats.” In fact, the world has the technical expertise as well as the knowledge — both scientific and indigenous knowledge — to find solutions to the waste crisis.
Established through a UN General Assembly resolution that followed other resolutions on waste, including the March 2, 2022, UN Environment Assembly’s commitment to advance a global agreement to end plastic pollution, the International Day of Zero Waste is jointly facilitated by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). The day calls upon all stakeholders, including governments, civil society, businesses, academia, communities, women and youth, to engage in activities that raise awareness of zero-waste initiatives to foster environmentally sound waste management.
Humanity generates more than two billion tonnes of municipal solid waste annually, of which 45 per cent is mismanaged. Without urgent action, this will rise to almost 4 billion tons by 2050. Waste comes in all forms and sizes, including plastics, debris from mining and construction sites, electronics and food. It disproportionately impacts the poor, with up to 4 billion people lacking access to controlled disposal facilities. The International Day of Zero Waste aims to bring these myriad impacts of waste to the world’s attention and encourage global action at all levels to reduce pollution and waste.
In its resolution to establish the day, the UN General Assembly underlined the potential of zero-waste initiatives and called upon all stakeholders to engage in “activities aimed at raising awareness of national, subnational, regional and local zero-waste initiatives and their contribution to achieving sustainable development”. Promoting zero-waste initiatives can help advance all goals and targets in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including Sustainable Development Goal 11 on making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable and Sustainable Development Goal 12 on ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns.
Turkey, which put forward the resolution alongside 105 other countries, is among the leaders of the zero-waste movement. Turkey launched its zero-waste project in 2017 under the leadership of Emine Erdogan, the First Lady. On the margins of the UN General Assembly in 2022, the First Lady of Turkey and the UN Secretary-General signed a goodwill document to extend the country’s zero-waste project globally. To mark the International Day of Zero Waste, businesses, governments, non-profits and more are hosting events all over the world. These include community information sessions, e-waste and food collection drives, fashion shows, photo exhibitions and conferences.
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