H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK delivered a video message at a high-level seminar organised by OIC General Secretariat and the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Türkiye to the OIC, marking the International Day of Zero Waste.

H.E. SELÇUK acknowledged the visionary leadership of the First Lady of Türkiye, H.E. Emine ERDOĞAN, in championing the Zero Waste movement. Since its launch in 2017, Türkiye’s Zero Waste Project has successfully enabled the recycling of around 90 million tonnes of waste, demonstrating the tangible impact of sustained policy commitment.

She stressed that waste is not only an environmental issue, but also a development challenge and a moral question, closely linked to resource efficiency, food security, and sustainable consumption across OIC countries.  

Globally, 2.6 billion tonnes of waste were generated in 2022, and are projected to increase by 50% by 2050. Meanwhile, food waste costs USD 940 billion annually, as 780 million people worldwide are affected by hunger. In OIC countries, 230 million people remain undernourished, highlighting persistent disparities.

H.E. SELÇUK emphasised the need to advance circular economy approaches in line with the SDGs, calling for stronger data systems, enhanced capacity-building, and deeper partnerships, particularly engaging youth, to accelerate progress towards zero-waste societies across the OIC region.

Achieving zero waste is not only a technical goal, but a shared responsibility towards more sustainable and equitable societies.

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