To better protect the environment, what the world needs is “not a small minority that practices zero waste perfectly, but millions who take small steps with determination,” according to the Turkish first lady, who also chairs the UN High-Level Advisory Council on Zero Waste.

Millions of members of the public must “turn household organic waste into compost, boldly take leftover food home from restaurants, and switch off electronic devices instead of leaving them on standby,” Emine Erdogan on Friday told the Zero Waste Forum in Istanbul.

She also voiced pleasure at sharing the excitement and hope together with participants at the first International Zero Waste Forum.

The forum was co-organised by the Turkish Zero Waste Foundation, the Environment, Urbanisation, and Climate Change Ministry, Agriculture and Forestry Ministry, UN Environment Program, and UN-Habitat.

'Istanbul will become the capital of zero waste'

Speaking at the opening of the forum, Erdogan announced that “necessary steps” had been taken to establish a regional office of UN-Habitat in Türkiye.

“I believe that, from now on, our beautiful Istanbul will become the capital of zero waste, where the foundations of a sustainable future will be built,” she said.

She added: “In 2023, we founded the Zero Waste Foundation in Türkiye, with the aim of becoming a global hub for zero waste initiatives.”

"Despite our minimal share in the climate crisis, Türkiye is striving with all our strength to be part of the solution," Erdogan pledged.

Erdogan stressed that what the world needs is “not a small minority that practices zero waste perfectly, but millions who take small steps with determination.”

Without needing to say, “As if I could change the world,” these people should “strive to do whatever they can, to the best of their ability, for the good of humanity,” she urged.

Environment devastated by war in Gaza

In Gaza, due to Israel’s two-year war and blockade on the enclave, “soil pollution caused by ammunition, solid waste, and untreated sewage has rendered food production impossible,” the first lady lamented.

“While Israel is committing the most brutal genocide in history in Gaza, it has also perpetrated 'ecocide'," destroying the ecology and environment of the enclave, she said.

She added: "From the destruction in Gaza, 61 million tons of rubble remain, which may take a century to clean up and recycle. 97 percent of tree crops, 82 percent of annual yields, and 95 percent of shrubland have been wiped out.”

She said of the wasteland of Gaza: “There is no place left for people to live, no land for animals to graze, nor an environment for birds and aquatic life to survive. So let us underline this fact: As long as wars continue, we cannot heal nature’s wounds.”