Turkiye Urged to Adopt More Climate-Ambitious Zero Waste Policies
Declaration Released As World Leaders Meet at Bonn Intersessional
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 17, 2026
Bonn, Germany– As world leaders gather in Bonn, Germany to lay the groundwork for negotiations at COP31, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) has released a public declaration in collaboration with Greenpeace Türkiye, World Wildlife Fund Türkiye, the Microplastic Research Group, and the Plastic Free Türkiye Platform, and signed on by 124 organizations in almost 60 countries representing zero waste practitioners, policy experts, and community groups.
The declaration highlights the gap between Türkiye’s promotion of zero waste on the international stage and domestic policies that continue to support practices inconsistent with ambitious climate action, environmental justice, and public health.The signatories urge Türkiye, as host of COP31, to set a high bar for climate ambition by advancing a comprehensive zero waste agenda that addresses the root causes of waste and emissions.
At a press conference last Tuesday, June 9 ahead of the Bonn intersessional, COP31 President-Designate Murat Kurum announced a goal of halving global waste by 2035. While this target is visionary, zero waste advocates remain unclear on the baseline, scope, and implementation of such a goal, and whether it will include reducing plastic production and providing a just transition for waste pickers and workers, as well as other key strategies.
Sedat Gündoğdu of the Microplastic Research Group states:
“It is good that Turkey has prioritized zero waste on the COP31 agenda; however, it appears that the current plastic waste governance may not be entirely consistent with this ambitious political objective. Specifically, new investments in petrochemical plants, the ongoing waste trade, and the exclusion of waste pickers from the system seem to be at odds with this goal. For the COP31 agenda to be successfully implemented, a phasing out strategy from plastic is necessary. The concept of zero waste should be genuinely pursued, not merely presented as a facade.”
Mariel Vilella, Global Climate Program Director at GAIA, states:
“Zero waste is one of the fastest and most effective climate solutions available today, but it must go beyond waste management. A credible zero waste agenda means reducing plastic production at its source, cutting methane emissions through organics diversion, and ending reliance on polluting technologies such as waste-to-energy incineration and pyrolysis. As COP31 host, Türkiye has an opportunity to show that climate leadership means tackling the fossil fuel and waste crises together while ensuring a just transition that protects waste pickers, workers, and frontline communities.”
Following China’s National Sword policy, which restricted most plastic waste imports into the country, Türkiye emerged as one of the world’s leading destinations for imported plastic waste. The declaration calls on Türkiye to address its role in the global waste trade, end waste colonialism, and prioritize environmental justice for communities disproportionately affected by waste pollution.
Berk Butan, Campaigner at Greenpeace Türkiye, states:
“Real climate leadership at COP31 begins with acknowledging that 99 percent of plastics are made from fossil fuels. A true zero waste strategy requires turning off the tap on plastic production and ending the injustice of waste colonialism that turns Türkiye into Europe’s plastic dumping ground.”
The Declaration calls for:
- Zero waste strategies that are linked to fossil fuel phase-out and reduced plastic production
- Stronger methane reduction commitments and accountability measures, particularly through organics diversion and landfill methane prevention
- Rejection of false solutions such as waste-to-energy incineration, pyrolysis, and other carbon-intensive technologies
- An end to waste colonialism and a commitment to environmental justice for affected communities
- A just transition that recognizes, protects, and includes waste pickers and waste workers in policy, financing, and implementation
Note to the Editor:
The Joint Declaration: Aligning Zero Waste with High-Ambitious Climate Action for COP31 can be found at: https://www.no-burn.org/joint-declaration-zero-waste-climate-action-cop31/
Press contact:
Claire Arkin, Global Communications Lead
claire@no-burn.org | +1 510-604-7833
###
GAIA is a worldwide alliance of more than 1,000 grassroots groups, non-governmental organizations, and individuals in over 100 countries. With our work, we aim to catalyze a global shift towards environmental justice by strengthening grassroots social movements that advance solutions to waste and pollution. We envision a just, zero waste world built on respect for ecological limits and community rights, where people are free from the burden of toxic pollution, and resources are sustainably conserved, not burned or dumped.