New York, 24 March 2023 (TDI): This year on 30 March, the first-ever International Day of Zero Waste celebration will be facilitated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
Coming up: The first-ever #ZeroWasteDay will be marked on 30 March.
Find out what this day is about & how you can get involved:
— UN Environment Programme (@UNEP) March 23, 2023
This year’s theme will be “Achieving sustainable and environmentally sound practices of minimizing and managing waste”. The conference will take place at UN Conference Center, Urban Engagement Space, Bangkok.
The International Day of Zero Waste goals to achieve sustainable consumption and promotes production patterns. Moreover, it supports the societal shift towards circularity and raises awareness.
Also Read: 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
It calls on all stakeholders, including governments, civil society, businesses, academia, communities, women, and youth, to actively engage in a series of activities designed to increase awareness of zero-waste initiatives.
Additionally, in the Asia-Pacific region, UNEP will be joined by UN-Habitat and ESCAP to mark the first International Day of Zero Waste during the 10th Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development with the aim:
• To raise awareness of the urgent waste management issues in the Asia Pacific region.
• To highlight the significance of taking measures across the entire value chain, from waste avoidance to sustainable management.
• To showcase best practices and ongoing innovative efforts. Which was led by various stakeholders to minimize waste generation both upstream and downstream.
Background
UN General Assembly adopted a resolution at its seventy-seventh session on 14 December 2022. Every year, 30 March is proclaimed as the International Day of Zero Waste.
Further, it follows other resolutions focused on waste, including “End plastic pollution: towards an internationally legally binding instrument”, adopted at the United Nations Environment Assembly on 2 March 2022.
In addition, the promotion of zero waste initiatives through this international day can help advance all the goals and targets in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals 11 and 12.
