Türkiye’s Zero Waste Movement marked its ninth anniversary on 27 September — and this year the milestone carried extra weight. With Antalya preparing to host COP31 from 9 to 20 November, zero waste has become one of the themes Türkiye has put at the heart of the summit’s agenda.
FAKTA
- The Zero Waste Movement was launched in 2017 under the auspices of First Lady Emine Erdoğan and is coordinated by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change.
- Türkiye’s national recycling rate rose from 13% in 2017 to 37.53% in 2025, according to figures reported by Anadolu Agency; the stated aim is 60% by 2035 and 70% by 2053.
- The programme now covers 220,000 buildings and facilities, and 28 million people have received zero-waste training, Anadolu reported.
- The ministry says 90 million tons of recyclable waste was recovered between 2017 and the end of 2025, contributing TL 365 billion ($7.46 billion) to the economy and avoiding around 180 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions — official estimates Watan News could not independently verify.
- The anniversary theme is “Together for the World, from Zero to COP31”, and “Zero Waste and Methane Reduction” is a core theme of the COP31 Presidency’s Action Agenda.
Zero Waste: from a 2017 project to a national programme
The movement’s core idea is simple: separate waste where it is produced so that more of it can be recycled. Nine years on, the programme’s reach is vast — 220,000 buildings and facilities, 28 million people trained, and a recycling rate that has nearly tripled since launch, according to Anadolu Agency’s report carried by Daily Sabah.
Paper and cardboard made up the largest share of recovered material, at 36.1 million tons, followed by 10.2 million tons of plastic. The ministry is also preparing new regulations to phase out single-use plastic products, though no timetable or details have been made public.
Zero Waste Blue and the deposit return system
The Zero Waste Blue initiative, launched in 2019 to tackle marine litter, has collected around 375,000 tons of waste as of September, according to the same report. Türkiye’s deposit return system for drinks containers has taken back more than 326 million PET, aluminium and glass containers and counts 3.3 million registered users as of 25 September.
Waste on the COP31 agenda
The timing is no coincidence. The COP31 Presidency has made “Zero Waste and Methane Reduction” one of the pillars of its Action Agenda, treating waste as a climate issue rather than merely a municipal service. Citing studies that attribute around 30% of current global warming to methane, the presidency has called on countries to halve the projected growth in annual municipal solid waste generation by 2035.
As COP31 approaches in Antalya, Türkiye is positioning its nine-year domestic experiment as a model for the world — while journalists touring waste facilities near Ankara have pressed for harder data on how much methane the country’s recycling drive has actually avoided. Landfills remain a major destination for waste, especially where organic material is not separately collected and treated.
The anniversary message is clear: arrive in Antalya not only with promises, but with projects delivered and results that can be measured.
Frequently asked questions
What is Türkiye’s Zero Waste Movement?
A national programme launched in 2017 under the auspices of First Lady Emine Erdoğan, based on separating waste at source. It now covers hundreds of thousands of buildings and has raised the recycling rate from 13% to 37.53%, per Anadolu Agency figures.
When and where is COP31?
COP31 takes place in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November 2026, with Australia leading the formal negotiations under an arrangement that gives Türkiye the presidency and Action Agenda.
Read more climate stories at Watan News. Sources: Eco-Business on COP31’s waste agenda and the Zero Waste Foundation.
