UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Thursday praised the leadership of the Turkish government and First Lady Emine Erdogan in the fight against global waste, which he said is "turning our world into a mess."
"Humanity is treating our planet like a garbage dump. We are destroying our only home. We are spewing out a torrent of waste and pollution that is affecting our environment, our economies and our health," Guterres told the UN General Assembly. he marked the first Zero Waste Day, part of an initiative led by the Turkish first lady.
"I want to acknowledge and salute the leadership of the Tรผrkiye government and First Lady Emine Erdoฤan on this vital issue," added the UN chief.
In 2017, under the auspices of Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan, Tรผrkiye launched the zero waste project to highlight the importance of eliminating waste in the fight against the climate crisis. The project has received international acclaim.
Last December, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution on a zero waste initiative introduced by Tรผrkiye declaring March 30 as International Zero Waste Day.
According to the World Bank, an average of 0.74 kilograms of waste is produced daily per person worldwide. This value ranges from 0.11 to 4.54 kilograms. It is expected to add 3.88 billion tons per year by 2050.
As of 2022, an average of 82% of municipal waste is collected worldwide and 55% is sent to waste treatment plants. Food loss and waste have major environmental, social and economic consequences.
About 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to growing, transporting and storing food that is never used, which Guterres said is "an outrage" when 800 million people around the world go hungry every year. anus.
"Waste is a killer. Of people. Of our planet. Of our natural resources and ecosystems. Of economies, which lose billions every year to waste. And the rubbish drops keep growing," he said. "Trash is ravaging our planet. It's time to strike back."
