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- October 13, 202619°
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- October 13, 202619°
Emine Erdoğan Presents Zero Waste Forum as a Global Environmental Call
Emine Erdoğan highlighted the Zero Waste Forum 2026 in Istanbul, addressing waste, plastic pollution, food waste, and the zero waste call ahead of COP31.
Emine Erdoğan, wife of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, described the Zero Waste Forum 2026 as a historic gathering where the human family unites around a common ideal, stating, "I believe this strong international participation is a concrete manifestation of our President's message that 'The world is bigger than five because humanity is bigger than five.'"
Emine Erdoğan attended the opening of the Zero Waste Forum 2026, held at Atatürk Airport under the auspices of the Istanbul Governorship and coordinated by the Zero Waste Foundation.
Speaking there, Erdoğan noted that Istanbul, as the world's longest-standing capital and a meeting point of civilizations carrying humanity's shared memory, hosted representatives from 183 countries, over 500 institutions and organizations, and more than 5,000 participants at the forum.
Emine Erdoğan emphasized that Istanbul once again brought cultures together, saying, "For this very reason, we see this forum as a historic meeting where the human family unites around a common ideal. I believe this strong international participation is a concrete reflection of our President's message that 'The world is bigger than five because humanity is bigger than five.'"
Expressing gratitude to all participants, Erdoğan continued: "I hope the synergy generated here will pave the way for new beginnings for our shared future. I thank our Zero Waste Foundation for their great efforts in organizing this meaningful forum. They are hosting one of the world's most comprehensive international environmental gatherings.
I congratulate every member of our foundation and applaud them wholeheartedly. I also extend my thanks to the supporting ministries and the Istanbul Governorship."
Emine Erdoğan pointed out that in the North Pacific Ocean, there is a continent of waste covering 1.6 million square kilometers made up of tons of garbage and plastic, standing as a monument to humanity's reckless use of resources amid the vast blue sea.
She drew attention to the fact that this waste accumulation, nearly twice the size of Turkey, reveals the waste and consumption crisis behind the climate crisis, stating, "The daily discharge of plastic waste equivalent to 2,000 garbage trucks into the oceans is not merely a waste management issue.
Just as the presence of microplastics from Antarctica to the summit of Everest reaching the most remote corners of our planet is not ordinary pollution." Erdoğan noted that all these facts reveal a neglected truth: humanity has produced more than ever before and accumulated unprecedented wealth.
"If you look at landfill sites today, you will see they are filled with clothes enough to clothe several generations, items sacrificed to planned obsolescence, and food discarded simply because we do not like its appearance," Erdoğan said, adding that millions of people in the same world cannot even meet their basic needs.
Without looking at any other data, just by examining the amount of waste produced, it is clear that alongside this wealth, a great injustice is growing, Erdoğan stated. "The throwaway, discard-and-forget, don't-think-just-consume mentality is depleting not only natural resources but also humanity's core values.
The consumption culture developed with industrialization builds a false comfort zone with plastics while severely damaging humanity's common sense and conscience. Humanity is leaving behind a broken scale of justice along with a heavy ecological burden for the future. Instead of sharing what we have to increase collective happiness with the morality of letting others live, we turn what we have into waste."
Emine Erdoğan emphasized that they see zero waste as a ticket for humanity's journey back to its essence and believe that its widespread adoption will improve not only nature but also human values.
She explained that the intellectual foundations of the Zero Waste Movement, which they launched in 2017 with the motto "The World is Our Common Home," were formed by this understanding. Erdoğan noted that the Zero Waste Foundation, established in 2023, has elevated the zero waste vision internationally through its global initiatives, significantly contributing to its integration with climate action, circular economy, sustainable cities, resource efficiency, food systems, and social resilience.
WE PROPOSE ZERO WASTE AS A CLIMATE ACTION AHEAD OF THE SUMMIT
Emine Erdoğan stated: "The coincidence of this year's forum with the COP31 Climate Summit, which Turkey will host, is an important opportunity to highlight the strategic value of zero waste in the fight against climate change. Although there are many ways to combat climate change, zero waste is a bridge that unites all these paths. It is even the most transformative force in the climate struggle.
Therefore, we see this year's forum as a significant milestone on the road to the COP31 Climate Summit hosted by Turkey. Ahead of the summit, we propose zero waste as a climate action. I believe every dialogue at the forum will contribute significantly to understanding zero waste's central role.
Every year, 5.8 trillion plates of food are wasted globally without reaching those in need. Over 2 billion tons of food are wasted in fields, on tables, in restaurants, and markets. Nearly one-third of agricultural land is used just to produce food that will be wasted. Such a scale of waste also leads to ecosystem degradation.
Moreover, about 14% of methane emissions, which have a significant impact on climate change, come from food waste. When looking at the human cost, the picture is equally heavy and tragic. We live in a world where 673 million people struggle with hunger and over 2 billion people are undernourished.
Emine Erdoğan shared that half of the children who die before the age of five perish from hunger, and even as she spoke in this hall, a child somewhere in the world is fighting for life in the grip of hunger.
She spoke of the grief of a mother or father unable to feed their child, adding, "The most painful part is that despite knowing we could end global hunger by saving just a quarter of the food we throw away, we have not resolved this grave contradiction.
While trash bins overflow and untouched food is loaded onto garbage trucks, empty plates and fading hopes weigh heavily on all our consciences." Erdoğan emphasized that every wasted bite represents the rights of many people whose tomorrow depends on that bite, noting that 60% of food waste occurs in households.
Emine Erdoğan highlighted Turkey's exemplary efforts to reduce food waste, stating, "With the 'Prevent Bread Waste Campaign' launched in 2008, we reduced waste by 40%. During our G-20 Presidency in 2015, we brought the theme 'Reducing Food Loss and Waste within Sustainable Food Systems' to the international agenda.
As a result of these efforts, the Technical Platform for Measuring and Reducing Food Loss and Waste was established under the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Secretariat in Rome. In 2020, through the 'Protect Your Food, Own Your Table' campaign implemented in cooperation with the UN FAO, we reached millions of citizens.
This initiative was recognized as a best practice example by the United Nations."
She noted that this year, by choosing food waste as the theme for "March 30 International Zero Waste Day," they once again brought the issue to the global agenda under the United Nations. Erdoğan explained that all these steps have made significant contributions to the "Zero Hunger Goal" and to making the global food system more just and sustainable, but that this issue requires greater global cooperation.
Erdoğan stressed that progress in this struggle depends on the countries with the largest shares in industry and consumption taking responsibility, stating, "Solidarity is incomplete if those bearing the heaviest burden are not at the forefront. Because a world where no one is left behind and resources are not wasted can only be built this way."
She pointed out that the most overlooked aspect in the fight against climate change is the exclusion of local wisdom by centralized information systems, saying, "Unfortunately, the cyclical life practices that form the essence of local cultures have become lost treasures in the modern world. Yet, we said, 'Humanity is bigger than five.'
Therefore, we must see every local culture as a handbook for a nature-friendly life that offers real solutions to climate change." Emine Erdoğan, zero waste.
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