More than 400,000 people visited the Zero Waste Festival in Istanbul by its third day, organizers said Saturday, as the event continues to bring together international policymakers, environmental experts and families around sustainability and climate action.
The festival, held at Atatürk Airport under the patronage of first lady Emine Erdoğan, honorary president of the Zero Waste Foundation and chair of the United Nations High-Level Advisory Board on Zero Waste, is being organized in cooperation with the Zero Waste Foundation and the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources.
Samed Ağırbaş, president of the Zero Waste Foundation and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion, said organizers expect attendance to surpass 500,000 by the end of the day.
"The number of participants at our festival has exceeded 400,000 as of today. We aim to surpass 500,000 by tonight, and we expect strong participation tomorrow as well," Ağırbaş said.
The event is taking place alongside the Global Zero Waste Forum, which has attracted participants from 183 countries, including ministers, former heads of state and representatives of international organizations.
Ağırbaş said the forum is serving as a platform to discuss global environmental challenges and sustainable solutions ahead of COP31, which Türkiye is set to host in Antalya.
According to organizers, more than 1,500 events have been held across the city as part of Istanbul Zero Waste Week, which was organized in cooperation with the Istanbul Governor's Office. Ağırbaş said more than 5 million people are expected to participate in related activities by the end of the week.
The festival has also drawn attention for its sustainability-focused operations. Ağırbaş said it became the first festival in Türkiye to meet all of its energy needs through renewable sources, with support from the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources.
Organizers said waste generated during the event is sorted on-site, organic waste is converted into compost and recyclable materials are sent to recycling facilities.
As part of efforts to reduce single-use plastics, no plastic bottles were used at the festival. Instead, visitors received reusable glass thermos bottles for drinking water.
Ağırbaş said the foundation aims to expand similar practices in future projects and encourage other events in Türkiye and abroad to adopt renewable energy and zero-waste models.
The Zero Waste Festival and Global Zero Waste Forum are being organized with the support of more than 500 stakeholders.
