March 30, 2025 is the third International Day of Zero Waste, with the theme of "Towards zero waste in fashion and textiles", aiming to emphasize the important role of the rapidly developing fashion and textile industries in addressing the global waste pollution crisis.
International Zero Waste Day
On December 14, 2022, the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution declaring March 30 of each year as International Zero Waste Day. This resolution was jointly proposed by Türkiye and 105 other countries. Previously, many high-level resolutions on pollution issues have been adopted, such as the resolution "Ending plastic pollution: developing an internationally legally binding instrument" adopted by the United Nations Environment Conference.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN Habitat) jointly promoted the celebration of the International Day of Zero Waste.
This International Day aims to raise awareness of the important role of waste management and responsible consumption and production in achieving sustainable development, calling on individuals and organizations to adopt a lifecycle approach and focus on reducing resource use and environmental emissions at every stage of the product lifecycle.
Advocates suggest that the industry can embody the zero waste agenda by strengthening global waste management, reducing waste generation, and promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns.
Every year, humans generate up to 2.3 billion tons of urban solid waste, including various types of waste such as food, electronic products, and textiles. If urgent action is not taken, the annual waste generated will reach 3.8 billion tons by 2050. Waste pollution poses a threat to human health, causing billions of dollars in losses to the global economy every year and exacerbating three global crises: climate change crisis, loss of nature, land, and biodiversity crisis, and pollution and waste crisis.
According to the Global Fashion Agenda, 92 million tons of textile waste are generated globally each year, equivalent to a garbage truck filled with clothing being incinerated or sent to a landfill every second. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation found that clothing production doubled between 2000 and 2015, while the lifespan of clothing decreased by 36%.
The fashion and textile industries account for 2% to 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and 9% of microplastic pollution entering the ocean each year comes from this industry. In addition, the industry also consumed 215 trillion liters of water, equivalent to the capacity of 86 million Olympic standard swimming pools. It is estimated that about 15000 chemicals are used in the textile manufacturing process, some of which accumulate in the environment for decades.
The fashion and textile industries are contributing to large-scale overconsumption and waste pollution. As the industry continues to grow rapidly, its impact on the environment will also intensify unless all participants shift towards a circular economy and sustainable production and consumption patterns. The International Zero Waste Day 2025 will drive the industry towards a more circular direction and recognize textile waste as a valuable resource. Realizing zero waste in the fashion and textile industries cannot be done in isolation, it requires firm action from all stakeholders and benefits everyone. Reducing pollution will ultimately bring economic and environmental benefits to the entire society.
To address this challenge, systematic changes are needed through sustainable production and consumption patterns, as well as circular solutions. The concept of zero waste is the key to achieving this transformation. Achieving zero waste requires active contributions from the government, industry, and consumers.
If consumers can adopt practices such as reuse, restoration, and recycling, they can significantly reduce damage to the environment. Abandoning fast fashion and investing in durable and high-quality clothing not only saves resources but also follows traditional sustainable development methods.
The private sector must take responsibility by designing durable, repairable, and recyclable products, and adopting circular business models that can curb chemical pollution, reduce production, use sustainable materials, and help restore biodiversity. Innovation and a sense of responsibility should guide the strategic planning of enterprises.
The government plays a key role in promoting the transition to a circular economy by implementing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs, regulating harmful chemicals, investing in recycling infrastructure, and incentivizing sustainable business models.
