The Zero Waste Forum 2026 has come to a close in Istanbul on June 7 after bringing together policymakers, environmental experts and international representatives to discuss circular economy practices, food waste reduction and sustainable growth.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is scheduled to address participants later in the day as the three-day gathering entered its last day.
The forum discussed global climate efforts ahead of COP31, which Türkiye will host in Antalya in November. Sessions focused on organic waste and methane emissions, food loss across supply chains, industrial transition to circular production models, reuse systems, bioeconomy initiatives and the role of consumer behavior in waste generation.
Opening the forum on June 5, First Lady Emine Erdoğan described the event as one of the world’s most comprehensive international environmental gatherings. She noted that representatives from 183 countries, more than 500 institutions and organizations, and over 5,000 participants had convened in Istanbul, calling it “a historic meeting where the human family unites around a common ideal.”
Erdoğan said the scale of participation reflected President Erdoğan’s message that “the world is bigger than five.” She stated that wastefulness and excessive consumption lie at the heart of today’s environmental challenges, pointing to the massive accumulation of plastic waste in the Pacific Ocean and the spread of microplastics from Antarctica to the summit of Mount Everest.
Although humanity has reached unprecedented levels of production and prosperity, she said, millions still struggle to meet basic needs, while consumer culture continues to erode both natural resources and social values.
Describing this year’s forum as an important milestone ahead of COP31, Erdoğan said, “There are many ways to fight climate change, but zero waste is the bridge that connects them all. It is, in fact, the most transformative force in climate action.”
Highlighting food waste as both an environmental and humanitarian crisis, she noted that millions of tons of food are discarded annually while hundreds of millions face hunger. “We know that by saving just a quarter of the food we throw away, we could end global hunger, yet we are still unable to eliminate this contradiction,” she said.
Participants include senior officials, former heads of state, first ladies, climate envoys and representatives of international organizations from around the world.
The forum served as the flagship event of Istanbul Zero Waste Week, which saw the participation of 5 million people through more than 1,500 events across the city. The Zero Waste Festival hosted exhibitions, workshops and public awareness activities at Atatürk Airport, with attendance surpassing 400,000 by its third day. Zero Waste Foundation President Samed Ağırbaş said the figure was expected to exceed 500,000 by the end of the day, and also see a large attendence on its final day.
