UNEP and UN-Habitat is co-organizing the commemoration of the International Day of Zero Waste on Wednesday, 27 March in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of Türkiye to the United Nations. The event will highlight the importance of collective, transformative action for zero waste, offering Member States and stakeholders the opportunity to share initiatives promoting zero waste at various levels to reduce waste generation and enhance responsible waste management. The event will take place in person between 10:00 and 11:30 AM EDT in Conference Room 12.
Humanity generates between 2.1 billion and 2.3 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste annually, yet only 62 per cent of this is managed properly. To address this urgent issue, the International Day of Zero Waste (30 March) was established by unanimous decision through resolution 77/161 to promote sustainable consumption and production patterns while contributing to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.