Zero Waste Foundation initiatives in Turkey

The Zero Waste Foundation in Turkey is advancing its environmental initiatives through large-scale exhibitions, community engagement, and educational programs.

In August 2026, the Foundation held an awards ceremony and the ‘Story of Waste’ exhibition, featuring works created from recycled materials. Samed Ağırbaş, President of the Foundation, reported that Turkey’s recycling rate has increased from approximately 10% to over 35% since the project’s inception. To combat plastic pollution, the Foundation announced plans for a major workshop involving 17 ministries and over 400 institutions.

Simultaneously, the Foundation has focused on individual and community-level recognition. This includes naming a middle school student as the ‘Zero Waste Guardian of the Year’ for cleaning plastic waste from the Beypınarı Plateau. Additionally, the Foundation concluded its Mother-Child Zero Waste Program, which engaged roughly 750 participants in workshops and theater performances designed to teach sustainable living and recycling habits to families.

As Turkey prepares for the COP31 United Nations Climate Change Conference, these social initiatives, including the Mother-Child Zero Waste Program and environmental awareness activities for children in state care, continue to play a role in fostering sustainability and environmental rights from an early age.