By Ifham Nizam

Turkish Ambassador to Sri Lanka R. Demet Sekercioglu will attend the first-ever celebration of International Zero Waste Day today at 9.30 am at Waters Edge, Battaramulla with Environment Minister Engineer Nasir Ahmed presiding.

Minister. Mr. Naseer Ahamed

Mr. Mark Peters

Dr. Anil Jasinghe

Mr. Supun S. Pathirage

Mr. P.B. Hemantha

Mark Peters, Economic Growth Advisor of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Dr. Anil Jasinghe, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Supun S. Pathirge, Chairman of the Central Environmental Authority and P. B. Hemantha Jayasinghe, Director General of the Central Environmental Authority will attend today’s even as special guests.

The Ocean Plastic Reduction Activity of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) have jointly organised the celebration of the first “International Day of Zero Waste” in Sri Lanka under the guidance of the Ministry of Environment.

A recent study has revealed that ocean plastic pollution threatens the world’s delicate marine ecosystems, the fishing and tourism sectors, food security, and human health. The equivalent of an entire garbage truck of plastic makes its way into the world’s oceans every minute—roughly eleven million tonnes annually.

The CEA says bringing an end to plastic pollution at the source is the most effective way to address this challenge. Most of the plastic ocean debris comes from rapidly growing cities along coastal areas in the developing world where governments struggle with growing populations and increasing amounts of waste.

In Sri Lanka solid waste management systems struggle to keep pace with growing urban populations.

On a proposal from Turkey, the United Nations General Assembly declared today 30 March as “International Zero Waste Day” in its seventy-seventh session on 14 December, 2022. Accordingly, this day has been announced as one more step to further strengthen the “2023 Agenda for Sustainable Development” and every year should be celebrated as the “International Day of Zero Waste” the 30th of March.

Garbage is responsible for the major crisis affecting the world: climate change, biodiversity and nature loss, and pollution. Approaching the concept of zero waste can turn a manufacturing process into a closed-cycle process. It allows resources to be reused as much as possible, thus limiting waste generation and minimising resource wastE. This process can reduce all forms of pollution.

Some 150 people representing government institutions, private institutions, educational institutions and civil societies will participate in this event. A technical session and a discussion session with the participation of invited guests and experts in the field will be held to share knowledge of zero waste and the measures that have been taken and are to be taken.