Zero waste leader heads to US as Türkiye advances plastic agenda before COP31

A national workshop tied Türkiye’s 2053 Plastic Vision to COP31 preparations. Following the event, the President of Türkiye’s Zero Waste Foundation participated in New York Climate Week.

Istanbul, Turkey, September 30, 2026 /MarketersMEDIA/ -- The Zero Waste Foundation held the Türkiye Plastic Waste Workshop in Istanbul on August 31 and September 1, bringing public institutions, universities, businesses, civil society and specialists together through 15 thematic tables.

The two-day process examined the entire plastic life cycle to develop policy recommendations that reduce waste, prevent pollution and contribute to the 2053 Plastic Vision of Türkiye, which will host COP31 from November 9 to November 20, 2026.

That policy work gained a U.S. connection later in September, when Samed Agirbas, President of the Zero Waste Foundation and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion, participated in engagements New York Climate Week from September 20 to September 27.

His participation placed Türkiye’s domestic policy discussions within a wider international climate setting before COP31, connecting the Istanbul workshop with an event followed by American and global audiences.

Zero Waste vision connects climate and resource policy

The workshop was built on Türkiye’s Zero Waste Vision and its focus on preventing waste, recovering materials and using resources efficiently.

H.E. Emine Erdogan, Founder of the Zero Waste Movement, Chair of the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Zero Waste and Honorary President of the Zero Waste Foundation, has led the vision as it developed into a global environmental movement.

Opening remarks came from Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Istanbul Governor Davut Gül, and Samed Agirbas.

“Zero Waste has taught us that waste should be prevented, reduced, reused and returned to the economy as a resource,” Agirbas said. “At the heart of this approach is the efficient use of our resources.”

He described the workshop as a new step in the commitment led by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of the Republic of Türkiye.

Minister Ersoy connected progress against plastic pollution with the health of the planet. “Winning the fight against plastic will provide a lifeline for our planet,” he said, while recognizing H.E. Emine Erdogan’s role in advancing the transformation.

Plastic policy across the full life cycle

Participants of the Türkiye Plastic Waste Workshop in Istanbul examined plastics through production, consumption, product design, reuse, collection, recycling, human health and economic transformation. Their discussions considered environmental, economic and social dimensions together, with pollution prevention and efficient resource use serving as shared priorities.

The 15 tables were organized around four broad areas. The first covered plastic production, product design, resource efficiency and economic transformation. The second addressed consumption, waste, pollution, reuse systems and natural ecosystems.

A third area examined food safety, human health, exposure risks and social change. The fourth focused on governance, financing, data, digital transformation, international cooperation and the long-term direction of the 2053 Türkiye Plastic Vision.

Participants considered practical needs across those areas. Discussions included separate collection at the source, stronger recycling systems, clearer eco-design criteria, material traceability, reuse models, reliable data, health-risk assessment and financing for industrial transformation.

The intended outcome is a policy framework that can connect local experience, national coordination and international developments. The process also sought to improve cooperation among government, academia, industry, finance, local authorities and civil society against plastic pollution.

From Istanbul to COP31 and New York

The closing session included remarks by Istanbul Governor Davut Gul, Istanbul Technical University Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal, and Agirbas. Mandal shared findings from the 15 thematic tables, while speakers emphasized continued coordination after the workshop.

The recommendations were intended to contribute to Türkiye’s climate action and circular economy agenda as the country moves toward COP31. Their development continued through follow-up work with relevant institutions rather than ending with the two-day gathering.

Agirbas participated in New York Climate Week from September 20 to September 27. His presence in the U.S. brought the workshop’s themes into a broader international context shaped by climate action, plastic pollution and resource use ahead of COP31.

Contact Info:
Name: Ahmet Musa Bala
Email: Send Email
Organization: Zero Waste Foundation
Website: https://sifiratikvakfi.org/en

Release ID: 89204832

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