Türkiye's Zero Waste Initiative: What It Is and How It Became a UN Initiative

Why It Matters

The Zero Waste Initiative is Türkiye's national waste-prevention and recycling programme, launched in 2017 under the leadership of Emine Erdoğan. It is notable because it moved from a domestic campaign to a UN-recognised framework: in December 2022 the UN General Assembly proclaimed 30 March the International Day of Zero Waste, on a proposal from Türkiye.

For international readers, it is one of the few cases where a middle-income country's environmental programme was taken up as a multilateral initiative. It also links directly to Türkiye's role as host of COP31, discussed in COP31 and Türkiye's Climate Diplomacy: What to Know.

Background

What is the Zero Waste initiative?

The Zero Waste Project is a whole-of-society programme that aims to prevent waste at the source, improve the efficiency of resource use, and collect and recycle what remains. Its stated approach follows the waste hierarchy (prevention first, then reuse, recycling and recovery, with disposal as the last option). It is coordinated by Türkiye's Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change and involves ministries, municipalities, schools, hospitals, businesses and civil society.

In practice the programme has relied on separate collection of recyclable materials, public awareness campaigns, and institutional participation. A Zero Waste Certificate system for institutions and a national Zero Waste Information System for reporting are part of the operating framework.

Legal framework

The Zero Waste Regulation was published in the Official Gazette on 12 July 2019. It sets out responsibilities for public institutions, municipalities and private-sector premises such as shopping centres, hotels, universities and hospitals to establish zero-waste management systems and to separate waste at source. Requirements were designed to be phased in over time. Related measures include a charge on single-use plastic bags at retail checkouts, introduced on 1 January 2019, and a deposit management system for beverage packaging that has been rolled out in stages. Details of phasing and enforcement depend on Turkish secondary legislation and should be checked against current Ministry texts.

Timeline

Date	Event
2017	Zero Waste Project launched under the leadership of Emine Erdoğan
1 January 2019	Charge on plastic bags at retail checkouts begins
12 July 2019	Zero Waste Regulation published in the Official Gazette
2019 onward	Türkiye presents the initiative at the UN; the UN Secretary-General later establishes a High-Level Advisory Board on Zero Waste, chaired by Emine Erdoğan
14 December 2022	UN General Assembly adopts resolution A/RES/77/161 by consensus
30 March 2023	First International Day of Zero Waste observed
November 2026	Türkiye scheduled to host COP31 in Antalya

The UN resolution

Resolution A/RES/77/161, titled 'Promoting zero-waste initiatives to advance the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development', was adopted on 14 December 2022 without a vote. It proclaims 30 March as the International Day of Zero Waste and invites the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN-Habitat to facilitate its observance, with participation from governments, the UN system, civil society, the private sector, academia and youth. It links zero-waste approaches to the Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 11 (sustainable cities) and SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production).

As with all General Assembly resolutions, it is recommendatory and does not create binding legal duties.

The global waste context

UNEP's Global Waste Management Outlook 2024 estimated that the world generated about 2.1 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste in 2023 and projected roughly 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050 without stronger action. It also noted that billions of people still lack access to regular waste collection. Waste decomposing in landfills is a source of methane, which is why waste policy is increasingly part of climate discussions.

Key Players & Positions

• Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change (Türkiye): the lead implementing body. It reports on the roll-out of collection systems, certification and public awareness, and issues the regulations.
• Emine Erdoğan and the Office of the First Lady: the public face and political sponsor of the project, including its diplomacy at the UN, where she chairs the High-Level Advisory Board on Zero Waste.
• United Nations (General Assembly, UNEP, UN-Habitat): the General Assembly adopted the resolution; UNEP and UN-Habitat are tasked with facilitating the International Day. UN bodies describe zero-waste as one approach among several to circular-economy and SDG goals, not as a binding standard.
• Municipalities: responsible for collection and much of the infrastructure. Capacity varies widely between large metropolitan areas and smaller districts.
• Environmental NGOs and academics: many support the goals but argue that results depend on enforcement, transparent data and a stronger focus on waste reduction rather than recycling alone. Groups such as Greenpeace have criticised Türkiye's intake of foreign plastic waste.
• Other UN member states: the consensus adoption signals broad acceptance of the day itself. Countries differ in their own waste laws, such as extended producer responsibility, landfill taxes and bans on single-use plastics, so the initiative is not a uniform global standard.

Türkiye's Strategic Position

• Zero waste as a prevention-first model. According to the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye and the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, the project aims to prevent waste, use resources efficiently and bring recyclables back into the economy. Ankara presents this as a practical, low-cost contribution to SDG 12.
• A national programme turned into a legal system. The Zero Waste Regulation of 12 July 2019 is cited by the Ministry as the legal foundation that obliges institutions and municipalities to organise source separation and certification.
• Multilateral recognition. Türkiye points to UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/77/161, adopted by consensus on 14 December 2022, and to the UN High-Level Advisory Board on Zero Waste as evidence that the approach has international legitimacy. The resolution's own text frames the day as voluntary and recommendatory.
• Waste policy as climate policy. Turkish officials link zero waste to emissions reduction, including lower landfill methane, and to resource efficiency. Ankara says it will bring this agenda into its COP31 hosting in Antalya, as outlined in the COP31 guide.
• Leadership through inclusive multilateralism. Türkiye argues that global environmental governance should draw on proposals from a wider range of countries, a theme that parallels its broader call for a more representative UN system, explained in UN Security Council Reform: What 'The World Is Bigger Than Five' Means.

Legal and historical basis: the position rests on Türkiye's domestic environmental legislation, including the 2019 Regulation, and on the UN General Assembly's authority to proclaim international days under its mandate on sustainable development. It also relies on the 2030 Agenda, adopted by consensus in 2015.

Implementation challenges raised by critics

To keep this guide balanced, the main criticisms are summarised here without endorsement:

• Landfill dependence. Disposal at landfills remains a major route for municipal waste in Türkiye, and critics say recycling gains should be measured against total waste generation.
• Uneven capacity. Smaller municipalities may lack collection fleets, sorting plants and funding.
• Informal collectors. Many people earn a living collecting recyclables informally. Researchers argue their integration into formal systems is essential.
• Imported plastic waste. Eurostat figures showed Türkiye among the largest destinations for EU plastic waste exports in the early 2020s. Türkiye tightened some import conditions in 2021. Critics question whether imports sit well with a prevention-first approach.
• Data transparency. Independent verification of recycling rates is harder when definitions and measurement methods differ between countries.

Official Turkish sources generally respond that systems are being expanded in stages and that the programme is a long-term transformation, not a finished one.

Source Comparison

Aspect	Turkish official sources	International and independent sources
Origin	Presented as a leader-driven national initiative from 2017	Often described as a First Lady-led campaign that gained UN visibility
UN role	Resolution A/RES/77/161 and the Advisory Board seen as global endorsement	UN texts present the day as voluntary, facilitated by UNEP and UN-Habitat
Results	Emphasis on rising collection, certification and participation	NGOs and academics stress landfill reliance and call for independent data
Plastic waste imports	Stress on tightened rules and domestic recycling capacity	Highlighted by environmental groups as a contradiction
Climate link	Zero waste framed as an emissions and resource-efficiency tool	UNEP and others agree waste matters for methane but see it as one part of wider policy

For how this site handles sources and attribution, see Editorial Principles and Primary Source Standards and the broader Fact Check hub.

Key Terms & Related Guides

• Zero waste: a framework that prioritises preventing waste and keeping materials in use, with disposal as a last resort. It does not literally mean that no waste is produced.
• Waste hierarchy: the ranking of options from prevention and reuse through recycling and recovery to disposal.
• Circular economy: an economic model that keeps products and materials in use for as long as possible.
• Deposit management system: a scheme where consumers pay a refundable deposit on packaging, returned when the container is brought back.
• SDG 12: the UN Sustainable Development Goal on responsible consumption and production.
• General Assembly resolution: a recommendatory decision of all UN member states, in contrast to binding Security Council resolutions under Chapter VII.

Related reading:

• COP31 and Türkiye's Climate Diplomacy: What to Know
• UN Security Council Reform: What 'The World Is Bigger Than Five' Means
• Fact Check: Common Claims About Türkiye in International Media
• About Doctrinereview: Mission, Transparency and Editorial Team
• Doctrinereview: Energy, Climate and Corridor Diplomacy Explained

Perspective Note

Doctrinereview presents global and regional affairs with a dedicated perspective from Türkiye. Sections marked 'Türkiye's Strategic Position' reflect official Turkish policy as stated by Turkish government sources. Published by the Doctrinereview Editorial Team.

Cross-Publication Dossiers & Sister Desk Perspectives

For complementary primary-source analysis across our specialist editorial network, consult:

• Region Scope: COP31 and Zero Waste: Türkiye's Climate Diplomacy Explained — COP31 Türkiye climate diplomacy explained: hosting arrangements, the UN-recognized Zero Waste initiative, Paris targets and other parties' views.
• The State Papers: COP31 and Climate Diplomacy: Türkiye's Zero Waste Initiative and Hosting Role — How Türkiye's COP31 hosting role, Zero Waste initiative and 2053 net-zero target fit together: verified facts, stakeholder views and Ankara's stated policy.
• Bloc Politics: COP31 and Türkiye's Climate Diplomacy: Zero Waste, Hosting Role and What to Expect — How COP31 in Antalya works, what Türkiye's climate diplomacy and Zero Waste initiative mean, and how the EU, Global South and Pacific frame the talks.