PURPOSE: The International Day of Zero Waste observed every year on March 30th aims to promote sustainable consumption and production patterns, support the societal shift towards circularity and raise awareness on how zero-waste initiatives contribute to the advancement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The waste sector contributes significantly to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity and nature loss, and pollution. Humanity generates an estimated 2.24 billion tons of municipal solid waste annually, of which only 55% is managed in controlled facilities. Every year, around 931 million tons of food is lost or wasted and up to 14 million tons of plastic waste enters aquatic ecosystems. Zero Waste Day reminds us of our individual and collective responsibility to reduce waste.
FORUM: “Food Waste.” International Day of Zero Waste 2026. This year’s observance focuses on food waste, a critical yet preventable driver of environmental harm. The world is wasting food at an alarming scale, undermining food security and slowing progress toward a zero-waste, circular future. In 2022 alone, approximately 1 billion tonnes of food, nearly one-fifth of all food available to consumers, was wasted. Food loss and waste represent a major climate and environmental threat. They account for up to 10% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, nearly five times the emissions from the aviation sector, and up to 14 per cent of global methane emissions. Tackling food waste is among the most cost-effective and readily achievable climate solutions, aligned with zero-waste approaches that prioritize prevention, resource efficiency and systemic change. Governments, businesses, and individuals must embrace zero waste to overcome the waste pollution crisis. UNEP and UN-Habitat call on stakeholders – including governments, civil society, businesses, academia, communities, women and youth – to participate in national, subnational, regional and local zero-waste initiatives. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #sdg12, #zerowasteDay, #30March.
EVENTS: On March 27th, 2026 Starting at 15:00 PM. EST, For this year's International Day of Zero Waste, the High level event focus is on food – what we eat, what we waste, and how we can move towards a more circular future. The New York Observance of the International Day of Zero Waste 2026, facilitated in-person, serves as a platform to underscore the critical importance of collective action in driving forward zero-waste initiatives, to Increase knowledge about the potential of zero-waste solutions to promote sustainability and equity. With young entrepreneurs and communities' initiatives to Promoting zero-waste initiatives through this international day can help advance all the goals and targets in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including Sustainable Development Goal 11 and Sustainable Development Goal 12. These goals address all forms of waste, including food loss and waste, natural resource extraction and electronic waste. Get the Concept note and register to participate!
Worldwide observance of the International Day of Zero Waste 2026. To celebrate the Fourth annual International Day of Zero Waste, offices and partners from around the world are invited to organize activities and events, including creative exhibits, panel discussions, social media campaigns, training sessions and waste collection drives. Explore the list of upcoming worldwide activities, conferences and workshops and the events maps!
On March 26th, 2026 at the Consulate of Switzerland in Osaka, Japan, from 18:00 - 20:00 EST. Youth workshop: Less Waste, More Life; Organizers: UNEP, Swissnex. This interactive workshop invites young people to explore food waste not as an individual failure, but as a shared challenge shaped by culture, daily practices, and system design. Through reflection and dialogue, participants will identify small, realistic changes in their everyday routines that can help reduce food waste while enhancing quality of life. Register here
On March 27th at UN Headquarters, New York, from 15:00 - 18:00 EST; The Zero Food Waste Challenge: Breakthroughs and Innovative Approaches; Organizers: UNEP, UN-Habitat, Republic of Türkiye, Zero Waste Foundation. The UNEP and UN-Habitat, in partnership with the Republic of Türkiye and the Zero Waste Foundation, will convene a high-level event at United Nations Headquarters to discuss breakthroughs, innovative strategies and approaches to zero waste in food value chains. Stakeholders from across the value chain will share concrete approaches, strategies, technologies, trends, gaps and opportunities to significantly reduce food waste and loss. Watch live
On March 30th, 2026 at Room V, Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland from 14:30 - 15:30 CET. Towards Zero Food Waste Through Multi-stakeholder Action. Organizers: UNEP, UN-Habitat, Geneva Environment Network, Türkiye. To mark the 2026 edition of the International Day of Zero Waste, leading voices from Geneva and beyond will join this panel to highlight progress in advancing the zero-waste agenda, with a focus on key initiatives to reduce food waste. As a major global hub for the governance of hazardous substances, Geneva is home to a wide range of international, intergovernmental, non-governmental, and private sector organizations working towards achieving zero waste, including in the food sector. Register here
On March 30th, 2026; Virtual event from 13:30 - 15:00 CET. Mobilizing Tourism to Halve Food Waste through Recipe of Change. Organizers: UNEP, UN Tourism. The High-level Global Roundtable, co-organized by UNEP and UN Tourism, will convene key tourism stakeholders to accelerate sector-wide action on food waste reduction and circularity. It will bring together policymakers and leading businesses to exchange practical solutions and align efforts towards their implementation through the Recipe of Change initiative. Recipe of Change offers a structured framework to support tourism stakeholders in translating global ambitions on food waste into measurable and reportable action. Through the initiative, partners assess and monitor food waste in their operations, implement operational and behaviour-focused solutions to prevent waste, and track progress over time to inform global monitoring and collective learning. Register here
On March 30th, 2026, Virtual event from 13:00 - 14:15 UTC. Zero Waste Starts on Your Plate: Beating Pollution of Food Waste led by Youth. Organizers: Children and Youth Major Group to UNEP, Youth Advisory Board (YAB) to UN-Habitat, Food and Agriculture Organization - Office of Sustainable Development Goals, UNEP One Planet Network. In the lead-up to the 2026 International Day of Zero Waste, the Children and Youth Major Group to UNEP will convene a virtual event to foster dialogue, bridge perspectives, and take stock of key actions needed to advance the zero-waste agenda. Bringing together youth, experts, and stakeholders, the event will focus on promoting solutions to food waste and sustainable consumption, while strengthening youth engagement in global environmental governance. Aligned with the priorities of the United Nations Environment Programme, it will also serve as a platform to consolidate youth-driven recommendations and accelerate collective action in support of the International Day of Zero Waste 2026. Register here
On March 30th, 2026, virtual event from 12:00 - 13:00 CEST. Unlocking Climate and Investment Opportunities: Environmentally Sound Management of Food Waste; Organizers: Household Waste Partnership (HWP) of the Basel Convention, French Solid Waste Partnership (FSWP), International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), Secretariat of the Basel Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions. Food and organic waste represent one of the fastest and most cost-effective opportunities for climate action available today. When mismanaged, they are a major source of methane. When managed well, they present a powerful opportunity for climate mitigation, public health benefits and sustainable investment, thus the webinar will explore how the environmentally sound management (ESM) of household waste, in particular food and other organic waste, can contribute to global climate goals. Register here.
On March30th, 2026 at the Zero Waste Foundation Headquarters, Istanbul, Türkiye from 11:00 - 13:00;Zero waste starts on your plate. Organizers: UNEP, UN-Habitat, UNDP, Zero Waste Foundation and Co-organized by UNEP, UNDP, UN-Habitat and the Zero Waste Foundation, the Istanbul Commemoration of the 2026 International Zero Waste Day, under the theme “Zero waste starts on your plate,” will bring together high-level representatives from governments, international organizations and key stakeholders to accelerate action on food waste prevention and advance sustainable consumption and production.
On March30th, 2026| Sanya, Hainan / Qingdao, Shandong / Nanchang Jiangxi, China, Offline | Online | from 08:30 - 18:30 CST. Mobilizing Urban Action for Global Goals Towards Zero Food Waste. Organizers: UNEP, UN-Habitat, Basel Convention Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific, Department of Ecology and Environment of Hainan Province. This event brings together international experts and city representatives to explore critical issues and innovative solutions in global solid waste management, with a special focus on advancing zero-waste city construction, food waste reduction, and international cooperation toward sustainable urban action. Register here.
On March31st, 2026 at the UNEP Headquarters, Nairobi, Kenyavfrom 12:00 - 14:00 EAT. TheSecond Life Table: A Communal Experience on Waste and Possibility; Organizers: UNEP, UN-Habitat, Republic of Türkiye. This event is a dynamic, cocktail-style installation that blends visual art, live culinary demonstration, and social interaction. Guests are invited to move through the space, engaging with the installation and each other throughout the two-hour activation, which opens with a panel discussion. At its core, the experience features a live cooking challenge where chefs transform commonly discarded ingredients and imperfect produce—sourced from Farm to Feed—into creative dishes, highlighting both household food waste and often-overlooked losses at the producer level. Through layered encounters of conversation, visual storytelling, and shared food, the event fosters reflection and dialogue on more sustainable food systems. Register here
Run your own physical and virtual events in the days surrounding Zero Waste Day to complement the theme. From March 1st to April 5th, you can organize your own event and have it to be featured on Zero Waste Day's global map. This could include everything from seminars and webinars discussing global waste issues, to repair workshops and cafés, clothing swaps, sustainable fashion showcases and exhibitions, clean ups and more. You can also visit the map to see other events you could attend yourself too! ▶︎ Register your event here and ▶︎ Explore the Zero Waste Day event map.
PUBLICATIONS: Global Waste Management Outlook 2024-In response to Resolution 2/7 from the second session (UNEP/EA.2/RES.7) of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) and reaffirmed in Resolution 4/7 from its fourth session (UNEP/EA.4/RES.7). Jointly published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), the Global Waste Management Outlook 2024 report provides an update on global waste generation and the cost of waste and its management. Municipal solid waste generation is predicted to grow from 2.3 billion tonnes in 2023 to 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050. Only 62 percent of this waste is managed in controlled facilities. Some 2.7 billion people lack access to solid waste collection. Download the report.
Food Waste Index Report 2024 | UNEP
Sustainability and Circularity in the Textile Value Chain - A Global Roadmap | UNEP
Rescuing SDG 11 for a resilient urban planet | UN-Habitat
Towards Zero Waste: A Catalyst for delivering the Sustainable Development Goals | UNEP | 2023
Leaving no one behind | UN-Habitat | 2022
PODCASTS: Waste mismanagement is a significant contributor to the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity and nature loss and pollution. Let’s discuss how to Reduce waste for a Greener Future. Listen to the audio-podcasts!
CAMPAIGN MATERIALS: This year's International Day of Zero Waste 2026 Campaign. Explore the Zero Waste Day 2026 Trello board and Get the communication materials!
WHY WE CELEBRATE THE DAY?
HOW TO GET INVOLVED!
PARTNERSHIPS
The United Nations General Assembly by the resolution 77/161 of 14 December 2022 designated March 30th as the International Day of Zero Waste is aimed at raising awareness of national, subnational, regional and local zero-waste initiatives and their contribution to achieving sustainable development.
Waste mismanagement is a significant contributor to the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity and nature loss and pollution. To combat this problem, it is necessary to take action at the individual, local and regional levels.
Zero-waste initiatives can foster sound waste management and minimize and prevent waste. This contributes to reducing pollution, mitigating the climate crisis, conserving biodiversity, enhancing food security and improving human health.
Zero Waste Day highlights vital individual, local and regional actions.
Raise awareness and provide a platform to promote sustainable and environmentally sound practices of preventing, minimizing and managing waste through resource efficiency and responsible production and consumption of products in a closed, circular system.
Share good practices from local and national zero-waste initiatives as catalytic tools for the promotion of sustainable consumption and production patterns, in addition to supporting the eco-design of products and enhancing the stakeholder participation in the process.
Promote multi-stakeholder partnerships to scale up the implementation of sustainable consumption, production, and circularity policies and programs. utilizing tools such as education, traditions, norms, and social values in reducing and recycling waste following sustainable consumption and production.
Advocate best practices for the recognition of the International Day of Zero Waste to the main stakeholders and raise awareness for consumer behavioral change, innovation and new technologies, sustainable urban planning, and investments in green infrastructure to prevent wasteful use of natural resources.
The International Day of Zero Waste is co-organized by the United Nations General Assembly, the United Nations Environment Programme, the UN-Habitat, the World Wildlife Fund. With the engagement of Member States, organizations of the UN system, other international and regional organizations, and other relevant stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, and academia.
It’s time to build public and private partnership to underscore the critical importance of collective action in driving forward zero-waste initiatives by.
Increasing the knowledge about the importance of Zero Waste and its potential to protect the environment and promote sustainability.
Showcase zero-waste initiatives and success stories from Member States and good practices selected by the Advisory Board on Zero Waste.
Encourage governments, individuals, communities, and organizations to adopt Zero Waste principles and practices and to take action to rethink, reduce and recover waste.