The Zero Waste Foundation brought together around 600 participants representing 17 ministries, public institutions, local administrations, academia, civil society and the private sector in Istanbul on Monday for a two-day workshop aimed at developing a national roadmap to tackle plastic pollution and strengthen Türkiye’s circular economy.
Held under the “Zero Waste for the Future – Common Mind Platform,” the Türkiye Plastic Waste Workshop brought stakeholders together to assess the country’s plastic-waste challenges and discuss concrete policy measures and solutions. The workshop will continue through Tuesday, with participants focusing on strategies to reduce plastic waste, prevent pollution, improve resource efficiency and support the transition toward a circular economy.
The event is being held as Türkiye prepares to host the U.N. climate conference COP31 from Nov. 9 to Nov. 20, with organizers saying its outcomes are expected to contribute to the country’s climate action agenda and provide a basis for policies and practices to be advanced during the COP31 process.
The opening session was addressed by Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Istanbul Gov. Davut Gül, Deputy Industry and Technology Minister Çetin Ali Dönmez, and Zero Waste Foundation President and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion Samed Ağırbaş.
