Türkiye Charts Plastic Policy Framework at Istanbul Workshop Ahead of COP31

Türkiye has taken a major step toward a national plastic policy framework, with the Zero Waste Foundation convening a two-day Türkiye Plastic Waste Workshop in Istanbul that brought public institutions, universities, businesses and civil society together across 15 thematic working groups — a move closely watched as the country prepares to host COP31 in Antalya from November 9 to 20, 2026.

The workshop evaluated the complete life cycle of plastics — from production and product design to consumption, reuse, collection, recycling and disposal — with the aim of building a comprehensive policy framework for waste reduction. Around 600 participants took part, and the follow-up process is being run with representatives connected to 17 ministries, according to coverage of the event.

Life-cycle approach across 15 working groups

Held under the theme “Gelecek İçin Sıfır Atık – Ortak Akıl Platformu” (Zero Waste for the Future – Common Wisdom Platform), the workshop examined plastics through production, consumption, product design, reuse, collection, recycling, human health and economic transformation. The 15 tables were organized around four broad areas:

• Production design and economic transformation: eco-design criteria, resource efficiency and industrial transformation financing.
• Consumption and reuse models: reuse systems, waste prevention and the protection of natural ecosystems.
• Public health and food safety: exposure risks and health-risk assessments linked to plastic pollution.
• Governance, financing and data: digital transformation, material traceability, reliable data and international cooperation.

Participants focused on practical next steps, including separate collection at the source, stronger recycling systems, clearer eco-design standards, supply-chain traceability and financing for industrial transformation. Istanbul Technical University took part with 34 academics, and rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal presented a summary of the findings from the 15 tables at the closing session.

Feeding the 2053 Plastic Vision

The intended outcome of the workshop is a policy framework that connects local experience, national coordination and international developments, and contributes to Türkiye’s 2053 Plastic Vision, the country’s long-term direction for plastic policy.

Samed Ağırbaş said coordination meetings had been held in Adana, Mersin, Muğla and Antalya — whose governors attended the workshop — and that the follow-up process would run together with representatives connected to 17 ministries.

The closing session included remarks by Istanbul Governor Davut Gül, Istanbul Technical University Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal and Ağırbaş, who serves as president of the Zero Waste Foundation and as the COP31 High-Level Climate Champion.

Opening remarks had earlier come from Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Türkiye’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, alongside Governor Gül and Ağırbaş.

From Istanbul to New York Climate Week

The policy work gained an international dimension later in September, when Ağırbaş participated in engagements during New York Climate Week from September 20 to 27, placing Türkiye’s domestic plastic discussions within the wider international climate setting ahead of COP31.

The workshop was built on Türkiye’s Zero Waste Vision, led by H.E. Emine Erdoğan — founder of the Zero Waste Movement, chair of the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Zero Waste and honorary president of the Zero Waste Foundation.

Why the Türkiye plastic waste workshop matters ahead of COP31

With COP31 approaching, Türkiye is positioning waste and resource policy as part of its climate delivery agenda. “Zero Waste has taught us that waste should be prevented, reduced, reused and returned to the economy as a resource,” Ağırbaş said, as reported by outlets covering the event. “At the heart of this approach is the efficient use of our resources.”

Minister Ersoy connected the fight against plastic pollution with the health of the planet, saying that winning it would “provide a lifeline for our planet,” while recognizing Erdoğan’s role in advancing the transformation.

Read more of Watan News International’s climate coverage in the English edition.

FAKTA

• What: Türkiye Plastic Waste Workshop, organized by the Zero Waste Foundation in Istanbul.
• When: August 31 – September 1, 2026 (two-day event).
• Who: Public institutions, universities, private sector and civil society — 15 thematic working groups, around 600 participants.
• Focus: Full life cycle of plastics — production, consumption, reuse, recycling, health, governance.
• Goal: Policy recommendations feeding Türkiye’s 2053 Plastic Vision.
• Context: Türkiye hosts COP31 in Antalya, November 9–20, 2026.