At the event held at FAO’s headquarters in Rome, Turkey’s Ambassador to Rome, Ömer Gücük, FAO’s Assistant Director-General for Food Systems and Food Security Division, Divine Nganje Njie, and World Food Programme (WFP) Supply Chain Specialist, Aino Partanen participated. FAO’s Chief Economist, Maximo Torero, and Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change expert Şule Bektaş joined the panel via video link.

Video message from Emine Erdoğan

Emine Erdoğan, the wife of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, sent a special video message for the 30 March International Zero Waste Day. In her message, she emphasized the importance of the Zero Waste approach, stating, “Our efforts under the Advisory Board, consisting of 13 distinguished members, continue intensively, particularly in sharing best practices and spreading the Zero Waste approach.” She also mentioned that this special day is an important opportunity for environmental volunteers, thanking all diplomatic missions around the world for their contributions.

Ambassador Gücük’s Important Remarks

Turkey's Ambassador to Rome, Ömer Gücük, highlighted the environmental impact of the billions of tons of waste generated worldwide. He stated, “Zero Waste is not just about reducing waste; it’s also about changing our consumption habits. We are reducing harmful impacts on the ecosystem by conserving natural resources.” Gücük added that 21 million people in Turkey have received Zero Waste training and that 5.9 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions have been prevented. Furthermore, he noted that 185 buildings and campuses have switched to Zero Waste management systems.

Views from FAO and WFP Officials

FAO’s Assistant Director-General for Food Systems and Food Security Division, Divine Nganje Njie, expressed his pleasure at the UN’s designation of 30 March as International Zero Waste Day. He stated that this special day aims to raise awareness about sustainable consumption and production models. WFP’s Supply Chain Specialist, Aino Partanen, mentioned that waste recycling is one of the WFP's priority areas and shared strategies for sustainability.

Zero Waste Project and UN General Assembly Decision

Launched under Turkey’s leadership, the Zero Waste Project, which started in 2017, aims to control waste and provide a clean future based on sustainable development principles. The Zero Waste Regulation, published in the Official Gazette in 2019, helped spread this approach nationwide.

On 14 December 2022, the Zero Waste resolution, initiated by Turkey at the UN General Assembly, was accepted, and 30 March was declared as International Zero Waste Day. Additionally, a consultative board was established to support local and national initiatives. Zero Waste efforts continue to be addressed under the UN framework to promote sustainable consumption and production habits.