The zero waste movement in Türkiye, spearheaded by First Lady Emine Erdogan, marks its eighth anniversary this year, highlighting the country’s commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship.
Launched on 27 September 2017 under Erdogan’s patronage, the project has evolved into a global environmental initiative promoting efficient resource use, waste reduction, and public awareness.
Under the banner "8th Year for 8 Billion People," the movement continues to expand through social media campaigns. Coordinated by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, the initiative has delivered notable results across energy conservation, greenhouse gas reduction, waste management, and economic savings.
Over eight years, the project has established zero-waste management systems in 205,000 buildings, raising the national recycling rate from 13 percent in 2017 to 36.08 percent in 2024, with a goal of reaching 60 percent by 2035.
Approximately 74.5 million tons of recyclable materials, including paper, plastics, glass, metals, and organics, have been recovered, contributing 256 billion Turkish Lira to the economy.
The initiative has also prevented the cutting of 552.7 million trees, saved 1.71 trillion liters of water, 54.6 billion liters of fuel, and 227.3 billion kilowatt-hours of energy, while avoiding 150 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
The movement’s maritime counterpart, Zero Waste Blue, launched on 10 June 2019, has removed roughly 585,000 tons of marine waste from Türkiye’s coasts. The project also integrates a deposit return system, which currently collects 50,000 beverage containers daily, with plans to expand nationwide.
Türkiye’s efforts gain global recognition
Türkiye’s Zero Waste efforts have gained international acclaim. In December 2022, the United Nations General Assembly designated 30 March as "International Zero Waste Day."
Emine Erdogan became the first Turkish leader’s spouse to address the UN General Assembly in a dedicated zero waste session, during which the High-Level Advisory Board on Zero Waste was established under her leadership.
During the UN 78th General Assembly, Türkiye hosted the “Towards a Global Zero Waste Movement” event at Turkish House (Turkevi), where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan became the first to sign the Global Zero Waste Goodwill Declaration, spearheaded by Emine Erdogan.
Since its launch, the online platform has attracted over 15,000 zero waste volunteers from 114 countries.
More than 50 spouses of world leaders, senior representatives of international organisations, and foreign ministers have also endorsed the declaration, highlighting the movement’s growing global reach.
Most recently, at the 80th General Assembly, Emine Erdogan met with Zita Oligui Nguema, spouse of Gabonese President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, who voiced interest in adopting Türkiye’s zero waste model and cooperating on sustainability initiatives.
Erdogan confirmed that the Zero Waste Foundation could provide technical training and support to facilitate Gabon’s implementation of the programme.
The initiative has also been recognised in other global forums, including the endorsement of the Global Zero Waste Goodwill Declaration by G20 member nations during India’s 2023 presidency.
Emine Erdogan’s leadership has earned the project multiple international awards, including the FAO “Zero Hunger, Zero Waste” award (2018), the UNDP Sustainable Development Goals award (2021), the UN-Habitat Waste Wise Cities Global Champion Award (2021), the Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly Award (2022), and the World Bank Climate and Development Leadership Award (2022).
