The United Nations(UN)’s International Day of Zero Waste is annually observed across the globe on 30th March to highlight the importance of bolstering waste management and promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns.
- 30th March 2024 marks the observance of the 2nd annual International Day of Zero Waste.
The observance is led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
Background:
i.On 14th December 2022, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution A/RES/77/161 and proclaimed the 30th March of every year as the International Day of Zero Waste.
ii.The first-ever International Day of Zero Waste was observed on 30th March 2023.
iii.The resolution was proposed by Türkiye and sponsored by around 105 countries.
What is Zero Waste?
Zero-waste is a method of conserving resources by avoiding burning and releasing waste into the air, water, or land and by reusing, recovering, and producing products, packaging, and materials responsibly.
Significance:
i.The day aims to support the efforts to advance the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including Sustainable Development Goal(SDG) 11 & SDG 12.
ii.These goals address all forms of waste, including food loss and waste, natural resource extraction and electronic waste.
Türkiye’s Zero Waste Project:
i.In 2017, the government of Türkiye launched the Zero Waste Project to highlight the importance of eliminating waste in fighting the climate crisis.
- The project was initiated by Emine Erdoğan, the first lady of Türkiye and the wife of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of Türkiye.
ii.The project supported the establishment of zero waste management systems across its 81 provinces.
iii.In 2022, Emine Erdoğan and the UN Secretary-General António Guterres signed a goodwill document to extend the country’s zero-waste project globally.
GWMO 2024
i.According to the Global Waste Management Outlook 2024(GWMO 2024) titled “Beyond an age of waste: Turning rubbish into a resource”, more than a third of the world’s population is living with solid waste. 2.7 billion people in the Global South and developing regions do not have their waste collected. The global average waste collection rate is 75%.
ii.Only 61–62% of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) being managed in controlled facilities
iii.It is estimated that the waste generated was set to grow in volumes from 2.3 billion tonnes in 2023 to 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050.
Note: The report was jointly produced by UNEP and the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA).
About United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP):
UNEP is the primary environmental authority in the UN System.
Executive Director– Inger Andersen
Headquarters– Nairobi, Kenya
Founded in 1972
Member States – 193 Member States
