INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ZERO WASTE

• International Day of Zero Waste aims to promote sustainable consumption and production patterns, support the societal shift towards circularity, and raise awareness about how zero-waste initiatives contribute to the advancement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• On 14 December 2022, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution proclaiming 30 March as International Day of Zero Waste, to be observed annually starting in 2023.
• To commemorate the Day, Member States, organizations of the UN system, civil society, the private sector, academia, youth, and other stakeholders are invited to engage in activities aimed at raising awareness of national, subnational, regional, and local zero-waste initiatives and their contribution to achieving sustainable development. 
  

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The waste sector contributes significantly to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity and nature loss, and pollution.

Humanity generates an estimated 2.24 billion tons of municipal solid waste annually, of which only 55 per cent is managed in controlled facilities. Every year, around 931 million tons of food is lost or wasted and up to 14 million tons of plastic waste enters aquatic ecosystems.

Zero-waste initiatives can foster sound waste management and minimize and prevent waste, helping to address the triple planetary crisis, protect the environment, enhance food security and improve human health and well-being.