ISTANBUL 

Lara van Druten, a member of the UN Zero Waste Advisory Board and CEO of the Netherlands-based Waste Transformers, said the problem of large food waste needs to be urgently solved and Türkiye's efforts can be an example to the world.

The Zero Waste Project was launched on Sept. 26, 2017, by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change under the auspices of Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan.

March 30 was declared International Zero Waste Day at the UN General Assembly Erdogan attended in September 2022 as a special guest of the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Guterres offered Erdogan the chairmanship of the UN Zero Waste Advisory Board at the same time and she assumed the role.

In 2050, 73% more waste will be generated compared to 2020

Van Druten evaluated the work and the Zero Waste vision for Anadolu and said the waste sector causes the highest methane gas emissions, and methane affects the climate much more strongly than carbon dioxide. She said the fastest and most effective way to slow global warming is to reduce methane gas emissions.

The amount of waste generated globally is increasing and the World Bank estimates the amount of waste that will be generated in 2050 will be 73% more than in 2020.

Van Druten noted that the waste that causes methane gas emissions in landfills is generally organic waste consisting of food or garden waste, and a large part of the waste generated globally consists of organic waste.

She described the problem of food waste as the most urgent in waste management that requires action

“One-third of the food we produce globally is waste. If global food waste were a country, it would be the third-largest producer of carbon dioxide after the US and China. When people think of waste, the first thing that comes to mind is plastic, but a lesser-known fact is that when you throw away 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of food waste, it emits the equivalent of the carbon dioxide caused by 25,000 plastic bottles in landfills. If we want to make a change, food waste is the issue we need to work on without even thinking about it,” she said.

She also said it is not fair that many have difficulty accessing food in a world where there is so much food waste.

Transforming food waste on-site

Van Druten said Waste Transformers is an initiative that puts the transformation of food waste at the center, and explained that within the scope of the initiative, it can transform food waste into energy or resources and put it back into the use of a facility thanks to the devices set up in containers of about 6 meters (20 feet).

“We can do this for all kinds of institutions,” said Van Druten, adding that the entire conversion process can be done at the point where waste is generated -- including football stadiums, hospitals, markets and smaller organizations -- so there is no transportation burden.

Pointing out that by transforming 1 kilogram of food waste to users, they prevent an average of 5.11 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, Van Druten said Waste Transformers operate in the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, Portugal, and Sierra Leone.

Progress depends on 'unreasonable' people

Van Druten noted her experience in the Waste Transformers initiative contributed to her role in the UN Zero Waste Advisory Board:

“There is a quote by the writer George Bernard Shaw that I like very much, 'The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.' That's one of the things I find amazing about the advisory board -- that the UN is bringing unreasonable people on board to make that progress. The members of the board are people who are committed to making our world greener, fairer and better. It's really an honor to be part of this advisory board,” she said.

Commenting on the work of the Board in its first year, Van Druten said: “I think first lady Emine Erdogan has really stepped up to the plate and been incredibly brave in this role. Under her leadership, we have focused on zero waste initiatives that adopt circular economy models to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and tackle pollution. We first compiled a list of successful zero-waste practices from around the world, and then we decided on 90 good examples, from which we compiled a final list of 15 initiatives. We want to collect these projects in a book to guide people who want to implement them. In addition to these efforts, first lady Emine Erdogan has created additional mechanisms such as zero waste projects and a zero-waste foundation.”

It is in our hands to create value from waste

Türkiye has been a leader in driving the global zero waste movement, said Van Druten, noting that Emine Erdogan's efforts have been crucial to the country's zero waste efforts.

“I think zero waste projects in Türkiye, initiatives like the Zero Waste Foundation, can serve as an example of how a national commitment can drive progress, and I hope that other nations will look to Türkiye and be inspired by what has been achieved,” she said.

“When we think of climate change and food waste, we often think of huge and intractable issues. What I would say is: Think big, start small and multiply fast. The waste on the streets is not anonymous, we produce it, and it is up to us to create value from it.”

*Writing by Efe Ozkan​​​​​​​