Attending the 77th General Assembly of the UN in New York City, Emine Erdoğan, the wife of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The two signed the “Global Zero Waste Letter of Intent” at the UN Headquarters in New York as part of their efforts to combat the climate crisis. In this context, it was stated that Emine Erdoğan will lead the global initiative for zero waste under the UN framework.

Guterres expressed his admiration for the zero waste efforts led by Emine Erdoğan, stating, "Societies are producing too much waste. Waste is a vital issue for today. Your Zero Waste Project is very valuable and impressive. I am very happy to meet with you in this regard. You are at home; welcome." He called on UN member states to promote Turkey's Zero Waste Project globally, emphasizing its significance among the most important environmental projects the UN is addressing.

Emine Erdoğan, addressing Guterres, said, "The document we will sign today reflects our shared intention in this regard. I hope that the number of signatures beneath this declaration, of which we will put down the first two, will increase. In this direction, I wish for the global promotion of Zero Waste." She also highlighted the steps taken by Turkey under the Zero Waste Project since 2017, noting that the project has been embraced and supported by all sectors in Turkey and has raised awareness internationally.