09.06.2026 21:21
The Zero Waste Festival, held under the auspices of Emine Erdoğan, Honorary President of the Zero Waste Foundation, at Atatürk Airport and one of Turkey's most comprehensive environmental gatherings, hosted over 1 million visitors. During the event, where sustainable living, technology, and art converged, all 850 megawatt-hours of electricity consumed throughout the festival—equivalent to the needs of 30,000 households—was generated from renewable energy sources, preventing 530 tons of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
Over 1 million visitors witnessed a sustainable future at the Zero Waste Festival held in Istanbul.
According to a statement from the foundation, the Zero Waste Movement, growing under the auspices of Emine Erdoğan, Chair of the United Nations (UN) Zero Waste High-Level Advisory Board and Honorary Chair of the Zero Waste Foundation, has entered a new phase with the Zero Waste Festival held in Istanbul.
Organized at Atatürk Airport in collaboration with the Zero Waste Foundation and the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, the festival hosted over 1 million visitors over four days, making it one of Turkey's most comprehensive gatherings in the field of environment and sustainability.
ZERO WASTE AS A SOCIAL LIFE CULTURE
The festival, bringing together themes of environmental awareness, energy efficiency, culture, art, technology, and sustainable living under one roof, once again demonstrated that the zero waste approach is not only an environmental policy but a social life culture.
The event, which attracted intense interest from visitors of all ages, showcased through concrete examples that a future where resources are used efficiently, waste is prevented, and circularity is prioritized is possible.
The zero waste approach, initiated under the leadership of Emine Erdoğan and transformed into a global environmental movement under the UN umbrella, reached millions of people directly through events held throughout the festival.
ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY SECTION DREW INTENSE INTEREST
In the awareness and education areas established within the festival, visitors had the opportunity to experience sustainable living practices hands-on.
Through circular economy exhibitions, waste management practices, carbon and water footprint measurement points, participants analyzed their own environmental impacts, while in experience areas prepared with virtual reality technologies, they gained awareness about the transformation of ecosystems.
The energy and technology section, prepared in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, was also among the most popular areas of the festival.
Solar energy systems, wind technologies, energy storage solutions, smart city applications, and efficiency-oriented innovative technologies met with visitors, while significant examples of the future of sustainable energy transformation were exhibited.
THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF ART AND THE "ZERO WASTE MUSEUM"
The culture and art areas of the festival interpreted the zero waste approach from an aesthetic and creative perspective. Upcycling exhibitions, digital art experiences, transformation-themed installations, and environment-focused art works hosted thousands of visitors.
Works produced from waste materials demonstrated that resources can create new values when used correctly, establishing a strong link between Anatolia's traditional production culture and modern sustainability understanding.
The highly popular "Zero Waste Museum" area invited visitors to think about production and consumption habits. The special exhibition, which addressed humanity's history of resource use together with its environmental impacts, combined the sustainable living approach with the transformative power of art, becoming one of the most remarkable sections of the festival.
850 MEGAWATT-HOURS OF ELECTRICITY GENERATED DURING THE FESTIVAL
Energy management during the festival was also planned in line with sustainability principles. A total of 850 megawatt-hours of electricity were consumed in the events held at Atatürk Airport over four days.
All of this energy need, equivalent to the four-day electricity consumption of approximately 30,000 households, was met from renewable energy sources. Thus, from the first moment to the last, all activities of the festival were carried out using emission-free energy.
Experts calculated that if the same amount of electricity were supplied from fossil fuel sources, approximately 530 tons of greenhouse gas emissions would be released. Thanks to the use of renewable energy, this emission was prevented from being released into the atmosphere, while energy supply was maintained uninterrupted to support the grid.
The application set an important example for reducing the environmental impact of large-scale events, while also demonstrating Turkey's progress in renewable energy transformation.
FUTURE GENERATIONS AND THE "ZERO WASTE KITCHEN"
Activity areas prepared for children and young people also attracted intense interest throughout the festival. Through workshops where toys and art works were produced from recyclable materials, environment-themed competitions, intelligence games, and hands-on educational programs, thousands of children were introduced to the zero waste culture. Content prepared with a learning-while-having-fun approach contributed to raising future environmentally friendly generations.
In the "Zero Waste Kitchen" area, one of the important stops of the festival, waste-free kitchen practices were carried out with famous chefs. Recipes for preventing food loss, composting practices, and sustainable gastronomy examples were shared with visitors, while recyclable and compostable materials were used in all catering areas, reflecting the festival's environmentally friendly approach on site.
Common sense and cooperation platforms, bringing together public institutions, private sector representatives, academics, non-governmental organizations, and international stakeholders, strengthened the festival's global vision. In the sessions and meetings held, sustainability policies, circular economy models, and the future of climate action were discussed. Thus, the festival went beyond being just an awareness event and gained the quality of an important platform supporting international cooperation.
MUSIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS MET ON THE FESTIVAL STAGE
Stage events and concerts throughout the festival also witnessed great enthusiasm. In concerts held with the participation of thousands of citizens, music and environmental awareness met in the same atmosphere, while the festival area turned into a major meeting point shaped around the theme of sustainable living throughout the day.
Rafet El Roman, Mazhar Alanson, Sinan Akçıl, Emre Aydın, Poizi, Sefo, Buray, and Ceza performed at the festival.
The Zero Waste Festival, which brought together environment, culture, art, technology, and social solidarity on a common ground in Istanbul over four days, left a strong impression as a powerful reflection of Turkey's sustainable development vision.
Welcoming over one million visitors, the festival further strengthened the social embrace of the zero waste movement and demonstrated that the goal of leaving a more livable world for future generations is widely adopted.
Under the leadership of Emine Erdoğan, the growing global zero waste movement, through the festival, once again revealed itself not only as a call for environmental transformation but also as a strong life culture for a shared future.