08.06.2026 13:41
More than 1 million people attended the Zero Waste Festival held in Istanbul, with representatives from 183 countries gathering at the forum. Governor Davut Gül and Foundation President Samed Ağırbaş evaluated the festival's success.
Speaking at the evaluation meeting of the Zero Waste Festival, Istanbul Governor Davut Gül said, "It passed in a festival atmosphere where families from 7 to 70 could engage in activities. This festival created an environment where children could apply what they learned." Zero Waste Foundation President Samed Ağırbaş stated, "More than 1 million citizens attended our Zero Waste Festival. 150 thousand people came to our concerts. Managing such large crowds seamlessly is not something that can be done in different countries of the world."
Organized by the Zero Waste Foundation within the scope of Istanbul Zero Waste Week from June 1-7, the Zero Waste Festival hosted hundreds of thousands of Istanbulites with over 1,500 events held over 4 days. The Zero Waste Forum brought together representatives from 183 countries, over 20 heads of state, more than 120 ministers, over 200 mayors, international organizations, the business world, academia, and civil society representatives on the agenda of environment and sustainability. Istanbul became the capital of zero waste. An evaluation meeting of the Zero Waste Festival was held at Atatürk Airport. Istanbul Governor Davut Gül and Zero Waste Foundation President Samed Ağırbaş attended the meeting. Evaluations about the festival were made, and the intense participation of citizens was discussed.
"WE ALL FOLLOWED THE FORUM WITH 183 COUNTRIES PARTICIPATING"
Governor Davut Gül said, "During the week of June 1-7, we all followed the forum with 183 countries participating. Additionally, we witnessed our fellow citizens filling the festival for 4 days, turning it into a holiday atmosphere. Our fellow Istanbulites have a population of 16 million. There is a need for activities that families can do together. It passed in a festival atmosphere where families from 7 to 70 could engage in activities. It created an environment like a school where we could apply what we learned, where they could see, hear, experience, and practice in every tent and every booth. We saw an environment arranged like a small zero waste village, with various competitions for children, gifts, waste separation, and no waste harmful to nature," he said.
"OUR FELLOW CITIZENS CAN ALSO VISIT THE TENT IN TAKSİM"
Inviting citizens to the zero waste tent set up in Taksim, Governor Gül stated, "Our tent in Taksim will remain open for a while as part of the work done by the Ministry of Industry and the Zero Waste Foundation. Our fellow citizens can visit our tent in Taksim and see, experience, and try out those beauties related to zero waste."
"150 THOUSAND PEOPLE CAME TO OUR CONCERTS"
Zero Waste Foundation President Samed Ağırbaş, responding to the question of why the Zero Waste Festival was held in Istanbul, said, "We limited the Zero Waste Week in Istanbul for this reason. Major cities of the world like New York, Paris, and London have climate weeks specific to these cities. As you know, Istanbul is an ancient city with more than 10,000 years of history, and a large part of Turkey's economy circulates in this city. 100 thousand, 150 thousand people came to our concerts. Managing such large crowds seamlessly is not something that can be done in different countries of the world."
"MORE THAN 1 MILLION OF OUR CITIZENS PARTICIPATED"
Stating that festival participation exceeded 1 million, Ağırbaş said, "More than 1 million citizens attended our Zero Waste Festival. We came together with our citizens through concerts and various events. In this context, we felt the energy of the city. This process has been an inspiration for our future events."