By Janet Ekstract ISTANBUL- Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan whose Zero Waste Initiative was instrumental in growing into a global initiative, was praised by U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres for her work on zero waste. It was on December 2022 that the U.N. General Assembly passed a resolution in support of the Turkish initiative on zero waste put forth by the Turkish first lady. conveyed a video message to the U.N. to commemorate March 30 as Zero Waste Day. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres in a video message sent to the March 30 International Zero Waste Day event, praised the first lady “for her visionary leadership in critical areas such as zero waste.” Guterres also thanked Turkiye for hosting the zero waste event in collaboration with the U.N. Environment Program and U.N. Habitat. As Guterres remarked: “I thank the esteemed Emine Erdogan, Turkish First Lady, for her visionary leadership in critical areas such as zero waste.”
Guterres said that the Zero Waste Advisory board has continued bringing partners together since 2023 to deal with this critical issue to turn zero waste into a reality. In his message, Guterres commented: “At all levels, governments should invest in waste management programs focused on reuse, recycling, recovery, and waste prevention, building circular economies that address the depletion and management of resources.” The U.N. chief added: “The global community must unite as one body and work towards signing a legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution on Zero Waste Day.” The U.N. states that the International Day of Zero Waste promotes responsible production and consumption patterns and encourages a shift towards a lifecycle approach.
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