Global leaders thank Turkish first lady for International Zero Waste Day

NEW YORK / ISTANBUL

International leaders and environmental advocates highlighted the importance of zero waste initiatives and lauded Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan, chair of the UN High-Level Advisory Board on Zero Waste, for her leadership during an exhibition at UN headquarters marking Sunday, March 30, International Zero Waste Day.

Speaking to Anadolu, Lara van Druten, a member of the UN Zero Waste Advisory Board, voiced satisfaction with the gathering and said: “To mark the occasion, I'm wearing a suit made from recycled plastic.”

Vijay Jagannathan, secretary-general of CityNet, the largest association of urban stakeholders committed to sustainable development in the Asia Pacific region, said he was honored to take part in the event.

“I'm really honored to be a part of the Zero Waste adversary committee, and my thanks are particularly to Her Excellency Mrs. Emine Erdogan and the Zero Waste foundation for making this possible. I hope from this event we'll have a much stronger partnership between CityNet and the Zero Waste Foundation,” Jagannathan said.

Hakima El Haite, founder of EauGlobe, the first environmental engineering firm in the Middle East and North Africa region, also expressed her happiness at coming together for such an important occasion.

“I used to come here as a minister, as high-level champion for many years, but tackling the problem of solid waste within the UN headquarter is an achievement, and I'm very proud to be part of this initiative, which is leaded by Her Excellency Mrs. Erdogan, zero waste initiative,” El Haite said.

“Today we are celebrating textile, textile recycling and upgrading, and I'm very happy to be part of this exciting experience,” she added.

Call for action in fashion and textile industries

Carlos Silva Filho, president of the International Solid Waste Association, said that International Zero Waste Day in 2025 aims to raise awareness of the impact of the fashion and textile industry, and their “tons of tons (of waste) every year that are discarded in the environment.”

“So we really need to pay attention in terms of how we better deal with this type of waste. Having the exhibition here at the UN headquarters in New York is a milestone to raise the awareness of the importance for individual activities and also for the sector’s activities,” Filho stated.

He thanked the Zero Waste Foundation for holding the exhibit at UN headquarters in New York to highlight the importance of tackling waste pollution, urging: "Let's join the Fashion Revolution."

Laura Reyes, a member of the Zero Waste Advisory Board, also said: “To celebrate this year, zero waste day on fashion, I am wearing my grandmother's sweaters, which it makes me very proud to be joining the tendency of reusing and recycled textiles.”

In 2022, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution on the zero-waste initiative presented by Türkiye, declaring March 30 International Day of Zero Waste.

The first lady has spearheaded Turkiye’s zero-waste efforts and their international spread.