DELHI: To celebrate International Day of Zero-Waste, a webinar on “Moving towards Zero-Waste Cities for Clean Environment through 3R and Circular Economy” was co-organised by UNCRD-DSDG/UN DESA, 3R Waste Foundation (India), UN-Global Compact Network India (UN-GCNI), and All India Institute of Local Self Government (AIILSG) on Saturday, March 30, 2024.
The session was aimed at fostering sustainable consumption and production patterns, enhancing circularity, and heightening awareness of zero-waste initiatives as a step towards realizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Discussions spanned the application of 3R principles (reduce, reuse, recycle) and circular economy strategies to manage municipal waste efficiently, thus addressing the pressing environmental challenges faced by cities, including land and air pollution and water quality degradation.
Dr. Kulwant Singh, CEO of the 3R WASTE Foundation, moderated the event, with C R C Mohanty, Environment Programme Coordinator at UNCRD, Japan, kickstarting the discussions by highlighting the critical roles of energy and resource management and carbon sequestration in achieving carbon neutrality. He underscored the importance of nature-based solutions and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration’s alignment with global sustainability goals.
The webinar featured a slew of distinguished speakers, including Binay Jha, who outlined India’s efforts towards garbage-free cities under the ‘Swachh Bharat Mission—Urban 2.0’. R J Rathnakar emphasised the longstanding tradition of sustainability and circularity in Indian culture.
Technological solutions for waste management, including the use of AI for SDG targets and innovative approaches to e-waste, plastic waste, and crop residue management, were also discussed. Experts presented case studies and practical applications of zero-waste management in cities, highlighting programmes aimed at improving livelihoods through effective waste management and the role of corporate action in achieving zero-waste cities. Verele de Vreede, Solid Waste Expert at Waste Netherlands, presented on their work in ‘Financial Inclusion of Improved Livelihoods Out of Plastics (FINILOOP), which is a programme that aims to combat plastic waste pollution through improved solid waste management while improving the livelihoods of informal waste workers in the plastic waste value chain at the same time.
The webinar, serving as a precursor to the UNCRD’s Regional 3R and CE Forum 2024, concluded with a vote of thanks, acknowledging the contributions of all speakers and participants towards advancing the agenda of zero-waste cities and sustainable development.