Türkiye is expanding its zero-waste and sustainability efforts across the sports sector through a new partnership between the Turkish Olympic Committee and the Zero Waste Foundation.
The Turkish Olympic Committee (TMOK) and the Zero Waste Foundation signed a cooperation protocol aimed at promoting zero-waste practices and environmental sustainability throughout the sports community and the Olympic movement.
The agreement was signed by Samed Ağırbaş, president of the Zero Waste Foundation and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion, and Prof. Dr. Veli Ozan Çakır, president of TMOK, during a ceremony hosted by the foundation.
The partnership builds on the global expansion of the Zero Waste movement, which was launched in Türkiye under the leadership of Emine Erdoğan, founder of the Zero Waste Movement, chair of the United Nations Advisory Board of Eminent Persons on Zero Waste and honorary president of the Zero Waste Foundation.
Ağırbaş said the agreement would help take the zero-waste message to wider audiences by using sport's broad reach and influence.
"We see this cooperation protocol with the Turkish Olympic Committee as an important step toward reaching wider audiences with the zero-waste approach through the power of sport," Ağırbaş said.
He credited Erdoğan's leadership with helping the Zero Waste movement develop in Türkiye and grow into a global environmental initiative.
Ağırbaş said sport has a unique ability to influence behavior and habits because of its reach among millions of people.
"Sport is a universal language with the power to reach millions and transform behaviors and habits," he said.
He added that the goal was not simply to reduce waste at sporting events but to create a broader sports ecosystem built around efficient use of resources, preventing waste and promoting sustainable living.
The initiative will cover the Olympic movement's various stakeholders, including athletes, coaches, sports administrators, facilities and event organizers.
Çakır said the Olympic movement had a responsibility that extended beyond sporting performance and international competition.
He thanked Ağırbaş and Erdoğan for their work to promote environmental awareness and sustainable living, saying sport has a particularly strong influence on young people and their everyday habits.
"We do not see sport solely as sporting performance or success at national and international competitions," Çakır said. "We also aim to raise our athletes and prospective athletes as exemplary citizens in every sense."
Çakır said the partnership would help athletes develop greater awareness of sustainability and zero-waste practices and encourage them to set an example for younger generations.
Under the agreement, TMOK and the Zero Waste Foundation will work together to establish and expand zero-waste practices across the sports community.
The partnership will encourage the exchange of knowledge and expertise while developing strategies for sports facilities and events.
TMOK will support measures at the Olympic House and other sports facilities to separate waste at its source, improve recycling, use resources more efficiently and reduce unnecessary consumption.
Sustainability measures will also be incorporated into national and international competitions, training camps and other sporting events.
The partners plan to promote more sustainable consumption habits, prevent waste and increase environmental awareness through communication campaigns and public awareness initiatives.
Sustainability and zero-waste principles will also be incorporated into Olympic education and athlete development programs.
Athletes, coaches and representatives of sports federations will receive training designed to increase their understanding of environmental sustainability and responsible resource use.
The Zero Waste Foundation will support TMOK in organizing educational, communication and awareness programs for athletes, coaches, sports administrators and wider sections of society.
The two organizations also plan to develop and share successful zero-waste practices at national and international sporting events.
Seminars, workshops and awareness events will form part of the cooperation, alongside pilot projects at selected facilities and model sporting events.
The partners aim to establish sports facilities and events as examples of how zero-waste principles can be incorporated into large-scale sporting operations.
The two-year protocol is intended to establish a lasting coordination mechanism between TMOK and the Zero Waste Foundation and provide a framework for long-term cooperation on environmental sustainability in sport.
The organizations will collaborate on the planning, implementation and evaluation of joint projects. They will also support one another, when needed, through academic research, data and resource sharing, document exchanges and the development of educational materials.
The broader objective is to position sport as a force for environmental sustainability alongside its traditional roles in physical and social development.
