The U.N. Advisory Board of Eminent Persons on Zero Waste's vice chair, Jose Manuel Moller, called Türkiye's stance on zero waste "inspiring."
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Moller, who is also the CEO and creator of Algramo, a Chilean startup that is redefining reusable packaging, congratulated Türkiye for starting the project.
He continued by describing Türkiye as "a country that is trying" and "leading the way in terms of showing that it is possible for everyone to reduce waste."
The Zero Waste Project, spearheaded in Türkiye by first lady Emine Erdoğan in 2017, was jointly developed on an international level last year by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Last week, on the sidelines of the 78th U.N. General Assembly in New York, President Erdoğan signed a Global Zero Waste goodwill declaration.
A signing ceremony, led by the first lady, took place at the Turkish House (Türkevi) diplomatic hub as part of the "Path To Global Zero Waste Movement" event.
President Erdoğan became the first zero waste volunteer by being the inaugural signatory of the Global Zero Waste Goodwill Declaration, made available for individual participation on its website, in support of the Global Zero Waste Movement led by first lady Emine Erdoğan.
According to the initiative's website, the declaration recognizes the importance of efficient resource use, waste reduction, recycling and other steps to align with the Paris Agreement and 2030 Sustainable Development goals.
"We pledge to promote the zero waste approach worldwide and share best practices for its wider recognition and application," it added.
The declaration of goodwill, initially signed by the first lady and the U.N. chief, has since been endorsed by the spouses of nearly 30 heads of state, including ones from France, South Korea, Paraguay and Cuba.
Last year, the U.N. General Assembly formally recognized the importance of zero-waste initiatives and proclaimed March 30 as the International Day of Zero Waste, to be observed annually beginning in 2023.
This year, in March, Guterres thanked the Turkish first lady for agreeing to chair the Advisory Board of Eminent Persons on Zero Waste.
The board, which started to operate with the aim of disseminating best practices and success stories in the field of zero waste and raising awareness worldwide, held its first meeting online in July.
The first face-to-face meeting of the board members is planned to be held in Istanbul on Nov. 1.
Moller told Anadolu Agency (AA) that it was a surprise for him to be chosen as part of the board.
"First of all, it was a huge surprise because this is something that didn't exist before and it's something that you don't apply, so I wasn't expecting anything from anyone," he said.
"It was an honor," he added. "So, we're leading this group, which is an interesting mix between governments and recyclers."
He said that the board is a mixture of different regions and backgrounds.
"I think it gave us also the right timing. Three years is enough to produce something concrete," he explained.
Moller explained that his main aim was to, hopefully, focus on results, and not to have more reports, as there are tons of reports around sustainability.
He said he aimed to establish "how we could avoid the production of waste, more than how we handle waste."
Moller is vice chair of the advisory board, launched the Algramo project in 2013. Thanks to the system, consumers can come to vending machines located at certain points and refill products such as detergent and cooking oil.
In this way, consumers are saved from overpaying for the package, preventing more waste.
Moller said that his idea of Algramo was created while he was studying economics in Santiago, Chile and emphasized that his experiences in the student house had a significant impact on this.
Explaining that he was responsible for cooking and shopping in the house where he lived with his three friends during his university years, Moller said that he comes from a large family where they used to buy things in large amounts to save money.
One day, he calculated that although they bought fewer products in the student house, they paid almost 60% more because they bought them piece by piece. Describing this situation as a "poverty tax," Moller realized that the cost of packaging was behind this, resulting in him creating the sustainable purchasing model he implemented at Algramo.
