Since 2017, recycling has gone by a new name in Türkiye: zero waste. Thanks to first lady Emine Erdoğan, who launched the nationwide program to introduce the concept of minimizing waste to the public, it has gained traction with diverse recycling practices. On Friday, the first lady will attend the Zero Waste Summit hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Urban Planning and Climate Change in Istanbul.
The third edition of the summit will also recognize exemplary practices and individuals engaged in the concept. This year’s theme will be “climate and youth.”
Environment, Urban Planning and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum said in a video message on Twitter on Tuesday that the summit would bring together “all nature lovers, from all ages.” Kurum said the zero waste movement launched five years ago “went beyond borders thanks to huge interest and backing by international organizations and many countries,” highlighting that the United Nations General Assembly recently declared March 30 as International Day of Zero Waste. “We believe that this movement will be a milestone of the ‘Century of Türkiye’ whose details were shared by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,” he said, referring to a set of development goals for Türkiye announced by the president in October. He said the summit would be attended by academics, writers, artists, athletes, members of the media, the youth and representatives of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).
Kurum said people who volunteered to spread zero waste practices will be awarded at a ceremony at the event venue, which will also host workshops on zero waste and exhibitions, including one by prominent artist Deniz Sağdıç, known for her work using recycled materials. Sağdıç will also take part in a live installation, creating an artwork made of recycled materials inspired by the Kauai bird, an extinct species. Another digital exhibition based on GPS data obtained from two endangered sea turtles released into the sea by the first lady and Minister Kurum will also be held. The exhibition will shed light on the turtles' route over two years. A panel entitled “Youth for Climate” will also be held at the summit, along with a conference entitled “Earth: Our Shared Home.”
The summit will also host a musical on recycling entitled “Year 2053: A World Without Waste” and a screening of a documentary on zero waste.
Three chefs who serve as jury members on the Turkish version of MasterChef will introduce the concept of a “zero waste kitchen” at the event, based on good recycling practices in the kitchen.
Among those who will attend the summit will be waste collectors, who are viewed as the most important actors in the recycling scheme.
Minister Kurum also announced that the summit will be “plastic free,” as recycled materials will be used throughout the venue. Stands used in the events will be made of wood and all materials will be recycled after the summit ends.
The Zero Waste Project has led Türkiye's fight against climate change. The initiative primarily aims to bring the country in line with sustainable development principles, prevent uncontrolled waste and leave a "cleaner, developed" country to future generations. The project received awards last year from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the U.N.-Habitat program and was also included in an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) country report in 2019 as a promising project. Recently, it was honored by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean before the first lady was awarded the Climate and Development Leadership award for the project by the World Bank. To further its success, the Turkish first lady took the country's landmark recycling scheme to the U.N. and signed a goodwill agreement with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to extend the project across the world.
The zero waste initiative has already helped Türkiye to cut off 3.9 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions and saved billions of dollars. Some 150,000 buildings across Türkiye have switched to the zero waste management system, which involves the separate disposal of garbage and recycling practices. The ministry prepared a regulation on the issue in 2019, setting the guidelines for recycling practices. In addition, some 17 million people are said to have been educated on the adoption of zero waste practices since the project's inception in 2017.
