ADU Hosts the Aydın Leg of Turkey’s Zero Waste, Environment, and Climate Change Workshop Series

Guided by the vision and under the patronage of Emine Erdoğan—Founder of the Zero Waste Movement, Chair of the United Nations Zero Waste High-Level Advisory Board, and Honorary President of the Zero Waste Foundation—the Zero Waste Foundation, which continues its work in line with her vision and patronage, organized the Aydın leg of the “Turkey Zero Waste, Environment and Climate Change Workshops,” was held in Aydın, hosted by our university.

Organized under the approach of “From Local to National: Waste, Resource, and Waste Management,” the Aydın City Workshop brought together representatives from public institutions, local governments, academia, the private sector, and civil society organizations to assess environmental management, resource efficiency, combating climate change, sustainable development, the circular economy, and the strengthening of local environmental policies.

At the 15 thematic roundtables established as part of the workshop, Aydın’s current status and priority issue areas regarding environmental, climate, waste, and resource management were assessed. The roundtable discussions, which included representatives from public institutions, local governments, academia, the private sector, and civil society organizations, aimed to develop actionable solutions at the local level and establish measurable goals.

The thematic roundtables covered the following topics: Climate, Disaster, and Nature Management; Water Management and Irrigation Efficiency; Zero Waste Blue – Aquatic Ecosystems, Seas, and Coasts; Agriculture, Food, and the Organic Cycle; Packaging, Plastics, and Single-Use Products; Industry, Trade, and the Circular Economy; Textiles, Furniture, and Consumer Goods; Energy and Transportation Transition; Public Spaces, Parks, Buildings, and Urban Area Management; Tourism, Hospitality, the Service Sector, and Event Management; Zero Waste and Resource Efficiency in Healthcare Institutions; Cultural, Educational, and Social Transformation; Financing, Incentives, and the Circular Economy; Governance and Institutional Systems; Digitalization, Data Management, and Statistics.

The workshop’s core approach was based on the “Wastefulness → Saving → Waste → Circular Economy → Climate Impact” transformation chain. In line with this, assessments were conducted regarding the effective use of resources, the prevention of waste before it occurs, the proper management of waste, and the strengthening of recovery processes.

It was planned that the data, assessments, and solution proposals obtained from the breakout sessions held as part of the Aydın City Workshop would be utilized to contribute to the development of environmental and climate policies at the local level.

It is intended that the workshop’s outcomes, evaluated in coordination with relevant institutions, local stakeholders, and the Zero Waste Foundation, will contribute to national policy development processes; furthermore, they are expected to provide local contributions to environmental and climate initiatives carried out under the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, Turkey’s 2053 net-zero emissions target, and COP31.

It is planned to comprehensively share the outcomes obtained during the Aydın Zero Waste Workshop with the public at the Aydın Zero Waste Workshop Results Conference, which will be held in the near future.