The Zero Waste Foundation on Tuesday unveiled its Plastic Waste Report in Istanbul, presenting a comprehensive assessment of global and national plastic pollution while launching a nationwide campaign to reduce plastic consumption. The foundation also announced a large-scale workshop that will help shape Türkiye's future Plastic Action Plan.

The report was introduced at the Zero Waste Foundation headquarters during a press conference attended by Istanbul Governor Davut Gül and Zero Waste Foundation President and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion Samed Ağırbaş.

Prepared in line with the vision of Zero Waste Movement founder, U.N. High-Level Advisory Board on Zero Waste Chair and Zero Waste Foundation Honorary President Emine Erdoğan, the report analyzes global and domestic trends in plastic production, consumption, recycling, waste management and plastic trade while outlining strategic policy recommendations for Türkiye.

Addressing the meeting, Gül said environmental protection is one of the few issues that benefits everyone and affects everyone alike.

"There are issues that everyone supports because everyone benefits from positive developments and everyone is affected by negative ones. The environment is one of those issues," he said.

Gül said that, just as the Marmara earthquake is considered a national security issue, zero waste and environmental protection are not only matters of national security but also among the world's most pressing challenges.

Highlighting Istanbul's role, Gül said the city already provides strong examples of environmental awareness and will continue to play a leading role in advancing the zero waste initiative.

"We have 60 universities, nearly 3,000 schools and 2.8 million students," he said. "If zero waste is to become a social value, it will do so through the guidance of our 170,000 teachers, our universities, schools, more than 20,000 nongovernmental organizations and Istanbul's deep-rooted civilizational heritage."

He expressed confidence that the policies and initiatives to be implemented would improve the indicators presented in the report.

Emphasizing the need for urgent action, Ağırbaş said the Plastic Waste Report forms the scientific foundation of the country's future plastic management policies.

"It does not simply tell us how much plastic waste we generate. It shows us a picture of our future. If we do not change the way we produce, transform our consumption habits and reduce waste at its source, our children will inherit plastic instead of nature," he said.

He noted that global plastic consumption has nearly doubled over the past two decades, rising from 234 million tons in 2000 to 460 million tons today. During the same period, annual plastic waste increased from 156 million tons to 353 million tons.

Turning to Türkiye, Ağırbaş said the country generates 48 kilograms of plastic waste per person each year, around 44.9% above the global average.

"For this reason, the Zero Waste Foundation has launched a nationwide mobilization to reduce plastic consumption, which we hope will grow into a global movement reaching all 81 provinces of Türkiye and eventually 193 countries," he added.

Ağırbaş also announced that the foundation, in cooperation with the Istanbul Governor's Office, will organize what he described as the largest plastic waste workshop in Istanbul's recent history on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1.

The event will bring together representatives from 14 ministries, more than 40 general directorates, universities, nongovernmental organizations and experts specializing in plastic waste.

He said the workshop will examine solutions to plastic pollution and help shape a long-term Plastic Action Plan outlining Türkiye's priorities for the next 30 years.

The report shows that global per capita plastic waste exports rose steadily from the early 1990s, peaking around 2010 as high-income economies and the European Union increasingly shipped recyclable plastic waste to developing countries. That trend reversed after 2016 following tighter international regulations, including China's import restrictions and new Basel Convention rules governing plastic waste trade.

While Türkiye has consistently remained well below the global average in per capita plastic waste exports, international trade data indicate the country has primarily been an importer of plastic waste. Per capita exports peaked at 0.22 kilograms in 2010 before declining to 0.12 kilograms by 2024.

The study also highlights the broader environmental impact of plastic pollution, noting that only around 9% of the world's plastic waste is recycled despite annual plastic consumption reaching 460 million tons and waste generation totaling 353 million tons. Across their life cycle, plastics account for an estimated 3.3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, underscoring their role as both an environmental and climate challenge.

To improve plastic management, the report proposes seven priority action areas, including reducing unnecessary plastic use, expanding recycling and waste management infrastructure, strengthening monitoring and official data systems, tightening oversight of recycling facilities and gradually restructuring plastic waste imports based on quality and environmental risk.

It also outlines a long-term vision for 2035, targeting a 60% recycling and recovery rate through wider source separation, stronger digital traceability systems and reduced dependence on low-quality plastic waste imports.

The report follows Istanbul Zero Waste Week, held during the first week of June under the theme "Road to Antalya: Zero Waste as Climate Action." The week featured the Global Zero Waste Forum, which brought together representatives from 183 countries, more than 120 ministers and nearly 7,000 participants to discuss climate action, circular economy and sustainable waste management.

It also included the Zero Waste Festival, organized on June 4-7, which attracted more than 1 million visitors and showcased Türkiye's sustainability initiatives through renewable energy, circular economy practices and environmental education.

The events served as a key milestone on the road to COP31, which Türkiye will host in Antalya later this year, reinforcing the country's ambition to play a leading role in advancing the global zero waste and climate agenda.