The objectives of the International Day of Zero Waste are to enhance zero-waste programmes’ ability to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Assist the societal move towards circularity, and encourage sustainable consumption and production practises.
The garbage industry makes a considerable contribution to the triple planetary issue of pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change. Only 55% of the 2.24 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste that humanity produces each year is managed in facilities under control. Up to 14 million tonnes of plastic garbage enter aquatic environments each year, and approximately 931 million tonnes of food are lost or squandered.
Initiatives aimed at reducing waste and preventing it altogether can help address the triple planetary problem. Safeguard the environment, increase food security, and boost human health and wellbeing.
A zero-waste strategy involves ethically producing, using, and discarding things in a closed, circular system. This means that we reduce pollution to the air, land, and water and reuse or recover resources as much as we can.
Action at every level is necessary to achieve zero waste. Items ought to be built to last and use minimal, low-impact materials. Manufacturers can further reduce pollution and waste by choosing less resource-intensive production and transportation techniques.
Zero waste throughout a product’s life cycle can be further enabled by advertising and carefully controlling demand.
In order to raise awareness of national, subnational, regional, and local zero-waste initiatives and their contribution to achieving sustainable development. Member States, organisations of the United Nations system, civil society, the private sector, academia, youth, and other stakeholders are invited to participate in activities during International Day of Zero Waste.
The International Day of Zero Waste is promoted jointly by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
By the promotion of zero-waste projects on this worldwide day, all of the targets and goals in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including SDGs 11 and 12, can be advanced.
All types of waste are addressed by these objectives, including food loss and waste, resource extraction, and electronic waste.
