United Nations (UN) High Level Personality Advisory Board Chair Emine Erdogan met with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York. Erdogan made a call to fashion designers on the issue of zero waste. According to information obtained regarding the meeting that took place behind closed doors at Guterres’ office in the UN building in New York, Guterres expressed his pleasure to reunite with Erdogan on the occasion of the March 30 International Zero Waste Day. Erdogan addressed participants at the 30 March “International Zero Waste Day” Special Event organized under the theme of “Towards Zero Waste in Fashion and Textiles” by the Permanent Mission of Turkey to the UN, Zero Waste Foundation, UN Environment Program, and UN-Habitat at the UN General Assembly. Emine Erdogan reminded that International Zero Waste Day is celebrated for the third time and said, “The Zero Waste Movement is growing exponentially every year, reaching more people around the world. We are fortunate that a global awareness chain is forming.” Emine Erdogan expressed her thanks to Secretary General Guterres for his strong support for the Zero Waste Movement. She also conveyed her gratitude to all friendly and brotherly countries supporting the Zero Waste Movement through the UN Environment Program and UN-Habitat, and sent her love to all “zero waste volunteers around the world” working for the good of nature and humanity.

ACCENT ON “SLOW AND SUSTAINABLE FASHION”

Emine Erdogan highlighted that the fashion and textile sector is a very influential force that directs the preferences and behaviors of the masses, stating, “As you know, the fashion and textile sector has a very high share in environmental pollution. Therefore, we chose the theme ‘Towards Zero Waste in Fashion and Textiles’ for this year’s celebrations. The reason is that a disposable-based understanding has unfortunately become the main character of the sector. Implementing ‘slow and sustainable fashion’ is now a necessity for all of us.” She explained that this is not actually a new discovery, but rather an approach that was already dominant until recently. She mentioned that in the past, long-lasting and high-quality products were produced, designers launched a maximum of 2 collections per year, while today, this number sometimes reaches up to 6. Emine Erdogan stated that advertisements create a consumption psychology that is hard to resist, leading people to engage in an impossible race to catch fast fashion trends. She noted that clothes that have not physically worn out suddenly become outdated in people’s minds and turn into waste. She said, “If we say that the fashion winds blowing in metropolises are not much different from increasingly destructive storms due to climate change every day, it wouldn’t be wrong. Because, no piece of clothing is just about fabric, color, and design. Along with each piece of clothing, natural resource waste, environmental pollution, and the effects of increasing climate change also accompany. This heavy bill is paid by all of humanity.”

CALL TO FASHION DESIGNERS

Emine Erdogan emphasized that in the past, the duration of using items was spread across generations, and adding a fresh spirit to clothing with small alterations was common. She said, “In short, a zero waste lifestyle was normal! What we need to do is to revive these values that shaped our daily lives until recently! From here, I want to make a call to fashion designers. You are creating a stance, an identity with your designs. You are the ones determining trends and preferences. Let today be a turning point for all of us! Let’s talk about the great power of small changes we make in our lives that can change the world.” She stated that by doubling the lifespan of clothes alone, greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by 44%. She called for reviving traditional memory in textiles, making natural and long-lasting ones popular again, and becoming responsible consumers. Emine Erdogan said, “Just as Turkey became a leading country in zero waste, I believe that Turkish designers will open a new page in this field and be pioneering figures.”