Lubricants and their packaging, which hold an undeniable place in industry, become domestic raw materials in the circular economy when they complete their useful life. Especially plastic and metallic materials like aluminum are used as waste packaging in the form of cans, bottles, canisters, barrels, and containers; while petroleum-derived and synthetic oils end up as waste oil in our water and land ecosystems, bringing up the challenge of optimal waste management. Our single most important challenge is to process waste packaging and waste oil into our facilities. The relevant legislation in our country is ready for the Two-in-One approach.
The National Waste Management Strategy and Plan (2025-2035), prepared in line with the Environmental Law, the 12th Development Plan (2024-2028), the Medium Term Program (2025-2027), our country’s Green Deal Action Plan, the National Circular Economy Strategy and Action Plan (February 2025), developments at the United Nations (UN), and the indisputable place of the circular economy in relevant mandatory and voluntary legislation of the European Union, was announced on social media by Murat Kurum, Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, on October 17, 2025. The National Circular Economy Strategy and Action Plan (2025-2028) entered into force on October 20.
Our sector and our primary supplier, the packaging sector, are closely monitoring developments, and our organizations must implement the best waste management practices in their environmental sustainability management and product lifecycle management. The Digital Product Passport is coming. We need to be prepared.
To date, the following milestones mark the significant progress of waste management efforts:
- 2017: The “Zero Waste Movement” was launched under the leadership of First Lady Emine Erdoğan.
- September 2022: UN Secretary-General António Guterres and First Lady Erdoğan signed a Memorandum of Understanding to globalize the movement.
- December 2022: March 30 was officially declared “International Day of Zero Waste.”
- September 2023: The Zero Waste Foundation was established.
- September 2023: The Global Commitment to Zero Waste for the World, Our Common Home, has been released for signature. https://zerowastecommitment.com/tr#About
- September 2025: The Istanbul Technical University Zero Waste Institute was founded.
When I submitted this article to our Editor-in-Chief, Fatih Çavuşoğlu, the declaration had already garnered 237,945 signatures from 119 countries. You can also sign it and download your certificate. With your civic and professional commitment, you can help protect the green and blue of our country and our planet for a sustainable future.
Achieving UN recognition or global reach for any initiative is no small feat. I extend my heartfelt green and blue respect to all stakeholders, especially First Lady Erdoğan, whose leadership has helped the “Zero Waste Movement” grow from a national effort into a worldwide campaign. As an academic, civil society advocate, columnist, and traveler, I have been working since 2009 to promote value creation through waste separation – not disposal. My motto, “Let’s Only Dispose of Those Who Deserve It,” reflects this ethos. Waste oil first entered my laboratory in 1998, and TRT Radio 1 ran the program “Waste is Wealth” for three years, inspired by this vision. I respectfully submit for consideration by TRT Radio and TV executives the inclusion of a Net Zero Waste program in their 2026 broadcast plans.
Our country recently hosted a milestone event. The Zero Waste Forum, held in Istanbul from October 17–19, brought together key stakeholders in collaboration with the Zero Waste Foundation, the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). With the theme “Zero Waste in Action: People, Places, Progress,” the Forum welcomed 118 partner organizations from 108 countries and more than 500 participants. It was a privilege to be part of this transformative initiative.
One of the Forum’s most exciting announcements was the upcoming opening of the UN-Habitat Istanbul Office. A major development. The Istanbul Declaration will be published following the Forum. The Forum’s outcomes will serve as the foundation for the UN 2026 Zero Waste Report. Istanbul is becoming the capital of zero waste. This will be a fitting title for our beautiful city, and a shared responsibility.
Our sectors will also play a vital industrial role for our Two-in-One: Lubricant + Packaging products. They will create value through waste upcycling for double national wealth with the Two-in-One approach in the circular economy. Both are hydrocarbon sources, such as crude oil and natural gas, and they are our domestic raw materials. Good luck to all stakeholders driving this transformation.
