02.06.2026 16:10
The Zero Waste Festival Press Launch was held in Istanbul with the participation of Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar, Istanbul Governor Davut Gül, and Head of the Zero Waste Foundation and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion Samed Ağırbaş. Minister Bayraktar said, 'The electricity used throughout the festival will be entirely sourced from renewable resources, and this will be verified with documents. Thus, we will become the world's first renewable resource-certified festival.'
At a press launch held before the Zero Waste Festival, which will take place between June 4-7, 2026 at Istanbul Atatürk Airport in collaboration with the Zero Waste Foundation and the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, the festival's scope, goals, and program were shared with the public.
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar, Istanbul Governor Davut Gül, and Zero Waste Foundation President and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion Samed Ağırbaş attended the launch held at Atatürk Airport. During the evaluations at the launch, it was emphasized that the festival is not just an environmental-themed event but a comprehensive transformation platform that brings sustainable living culture into society's daily life.
Speaking at the launch, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar stated that the Zero Waste Movement, initiated under the auspices of Emine Erdoğan, has turned into a major environmental and sustainability brand embraced not only by Turkey but also by the world. He said, "Thanks to this vision, March 30 was declared International Zero Waste Day by the United Nations. In this regard, Turkey has become one of the leading countries in environmental diplomacy. Within the scope of Zero Waste Week from June 1-7, our Istanbul will be the center of this global movement."
"We Will Bring Energy Efficiency and Zero Waste Understanding to Our Society in All Areas of Life"
Bayraktar stated that the events throughout the week aim to spread the zero waste culture to all segments of society and continued as follows:
"Istanbul is such a place that people from all over Turkey always visit it. Therefore, we are expecting all our citizens, young people, and children from across Turkey here. Hopefully, this festival will be a very comprehensive organization that will raise awareness among many of our citizens about the environment, energy efficiency, and sustainable living. As the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, under the auspices of esteemed Emine Erdoğan, together with our Zero Waste Foundation, we aim to bring together energy efficiency and zero waste understanding in our society at this festival, which will be held with the slogan 'Efficiency in Energy and Transformation in the Future' in our homes, workplaces, industry, transportation, agriculture—in short, in all areas of life and the economy."
"Using Our Energy Efficiently is a Necessity"
Emphasizing that there is a major energy crisis in the world, Bayraktar said, "In such a period, using our energy efficiently, protecting our resources, and recovering our waste for the economy is truly no longer a choice, not a trend, but a necessity, an obligation. We act with this awareness. Energy efficiency and zero waste are like Siamese twins. That is, two fundamental elements of one understanding. At the center of both is the prevention of waste, the correct use of resources, and ultimately, of course, a sustainable development goal. As I mentioned earlier, we are conducting a comprehensive energy efficiency mobilization across the entire economy, in our buildings, industry, transportation, and agriculture."
"It Will Be the World's First Renewable Energy Certified Festival"
Regarding the festival's content, Minister Bayraktar continued as follows:
"At the festival area, there will be different applications and experiences for everyone, from our children to our youth, from families to technology enthusiasts. A very wide range of content has been prepared, from renewable energy technologies to AI-supported applications, from recycling workshops to sustainable transportation solutions. There has been very serious work done here, and our visitors will learn by testing and experiencing the strong relationship between energy efficiency and zero waste. They will also have the opportunity to see many innovative works hands-on, from the recovery of critical metals from electronic waste to biogas production and sustainable agricultural practices. This festival has another feature. We will also host a world first in this regard. The electricity used during the festival will be entirely sourced from renewable resources and will be verified with certificates. Thus, we will become the world's first renewable resource certified festival."
"We Will Have an Unforgettable Week"
Istanbul Governor Davut Gül stated that Istanbul will host a very important event and said, "Under the leadership of our Zero Waste Foundation, with the support of our Ministry of Energy, we will have an unforgettable week with our fellow Istanbulites, especially our young people. There will be an experience where money is not involved, where families, children, and young people can hold hands and spend time together, and they may want to repeat it. I thank our esteemed Emine Erdoğan, our President who supports these efforts, our Zero Waste Foundation President, and undoubtedly our Minister of Energy, our Minister of Environment, and our other ministers, and we wish it to be auspicious."
"Zero Waste Awareness Emerging from Anatolia Has Gained a Global Place"
Emphasizing that under the vision and leadership of Emine Erdoğan, the Zero Waste awareness emerging from Anatolian lands has gained a global place, Gül continued as follows:
"More than 120 foreign ministers will come to the Zero Waste Forum. During Zero Waste Week from June 1-7, our goal is to make Istanbul the capital of zero waste. It comes from our roots and our past. Last week was Conquest Week. Our foundation culture of not wasting is actually a movement that forms the foundations of zero waste."
"The Zero Waste Brand Has Crossed Continents Under Emine Erdoğan's Leadership" Zero Waste Foundation President and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion Samed Ağırbaş stated that the Zero Waste brand, launched as a strong transformation movement in Turkey under the leadership of Emine Erdoğan, has now crossed continents. He said, "Within the scope of Istanbul Zero Waste Week, more than 1500 events will be realized in 39 districts of Istanbul with the participation of our citizens. We want to create a synergy with our 16 million fellow citizens in Istanbul."
We want our citizens to do things together for the city on a common ground and common idea,” he said.
Stating that the events in Istanbul are implemented with the will of municipalities, non-governmental organizations and citizens, Ağırbaş said, “There are climate weeks in big cities of the world, in London, New York, and big cities of Asia. When choosing the name of this week in Istanbul, we wanted to call it Istanbul Zero Waste Week.”
“1 Million Citizens Expected to Attend the Zero Waste Festival”
Ağırbaş, stating that 1 million citizens are expected at the Zero Waste Festival to be held in cooperation with the Zero Waste Foundation and the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources within the scope of Istanbul Zero Waste Week, continued as follows:
“We have concerts, events, and workshops here. Our main goal is to spread energy efficiency in these lands and to reduce energy consumption in the country with the work we will do in this context. I want to especially emphasize that we are pioneering a first in Turkey. The Etnospor Culture Festival was held here last week. We are using the same area and not building a new one. By using the same area, we also contribute to our sustainability efforts. We care about using this region as a festival area.
Instead of consuming new resources, by reusing the existing established area, we both contribute to the national economy and prevent a massive waste of material by preventing carbon emissions. This step is not just a logistical choice for us. It is also a manifestation of the culture of valuing what we have, which is deeply rooted in our Anatolian culture and in our genes.”
“The Festival is Full of Content Appealing to Citizens of All Ages for Four Days”
Ağırbaş, stating that the festival will be full of valuable content appealing to citizens of all ages for 4 days, said, “We will have exhibitions that instill Zero Waste awareness in our children and families, art transformation workshops, and a children's art street. Over 100 artists will showcase their fascinating works in the field of recycling and upcycling to our citizens. We will have museum studies that will embed environmental awareness into minds and engrave zero waste consciousness into people's lives. We will also have soil workshops for our children. We will have an Etnospor experience area. TİKA will have a study related to international cuisines.”
Referring to events on energy efficiency, Ağırbaş said, “I want to thank our Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. Our Minister has a very important role in Turkey's energy transformation. He has significant effort and leadership in taking Turkey far ahead in renewable energy. I also thank our Governor. He is leading Istanbul Zero Waste Week.”
Turkey's Sustainability Vision Meets Citizens
The Zero Waste Festival, which aims to bring Turkey's sustainability vision together with citizens; brings together environmental awareness, energy efficiency, technology, culture, art, and education under one roof. The “World is Our Common Home” approach, which forms the basic approach of the festival; aims to create a strong social awareness towards efficient use of resources, widespread conscious consumption habits, and strengthening environmental responsibility.
The Value of Traditional Saving Mentality, The Opportunities of New Generation Technologies Together
The festival program, prepared with the theme “Heritage of Tradition, Technology of the Future,” brings together Anatolia's centuries-old culture of frugality with modern environmental technologies. Thanks to this approach, the value of the traditional saving mentality is reminded, and the opportunities offered by new generation technologies for a sustainable future are introduced to visitors.
Sustainable Life Will Be Experienced in the Festival Area
Awareness and education centers created in the festival area will offer visitors the opportunity to experience sustainable living. With circular economy practices, waste management systems, carbon and water footprint measurement areas, participants will be able to analyze their own environmental impacts. In special experience areas prepared with virtual reality technologies, changes in ecosystems and the effects of the climate crisis can be observed interactively.
Special Experience Areas Questioning Production and Consumption Habits
The Zero Waste Museum area, one of the striking sections of the festival, will offer a special experience questioning production and consumption habits. Exhibitions prepared by using the transformative power of art will draw attention to the finiteness of resources and invite visitors to a more sustainable way of life. Through the exhibitions, the message that the zero waste approach is not only an environmental but also a cultural transformation will be conveyed.
Special Event Areas for Children and Youth
Special event areas prepared for children and youth are also among the prominent sections of the festival. Through workshops for producing toys and works of art from recycled materials, environment-themed games, competitions, and interactive education programs, younger generations will have the opportunity to learn while having fun. Thus, it is aimed to transfer zero waste culture to future generations.
Environment and Sustainability Themes Will Meet with Culture and Art
The festival will also bring together environment and sustainability themes with culture and art. Beloved artists of Turkey will take the stage in the concert program to be held over four days.
Rafet El Roman, Sinan Akçıl, Emre Aydın, Poizi, Sefo, Buray, and Ceza will meet with festival visitors, and through music, environmental awareness will be spread to wider audiences.
Waste-Free Recipes, Zero-Waste Production Methods
In the Zero Waste Kitchen area to be established within the scope of the festival, famous chefs will share sustainable gastronomy practices with visitors. While it is aimed to popularize an environmentally friendly kitchen culture with waste-free recipes, composting applications, and zero-waste production methods, recyclable and compostable materials to be used throughout the festival will reflect the organization's eco-friendly approach on the field.
Not Just a Festival, But a Permanent Social Transformation Movement
The Zero Waste Festival aims to create a permanent social transformation movement in the fields of environmental awareness, energy efficiency, sustainable living, and circular economy, going beyond being just a four-day event.Bringing together public institutions, private sector representatives, academics, youth, children, and citizens under a shared sustainability vision, the festival will make significant contributions to Türkiye's environmental diplomacy and sustainable development goals.
Adding a New Impetus to Türkiye's Vision
Implemented within the scope of Istanbul Zero Waste Week through the collaboration of the Zero Waste Foundation and the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, the festival will serve as an exemplary organization that strengthens an environmentally conscious lifestyle, promotes energy efficiency, and places the zero-waste approach at the center of daily life, thereby adding new momentum to Türkiye's vision of a sustainable future.