Humanity’s unsustainable production and consumption practices are driving the planet towards an ecological collapse.
The United Nations General Assembly with the resolution A/RES/76/300 has recognised in August 2022 the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. Nonetheless, the impact of poor waste management is devastating. Each year, homes, small enterprises, and public services produce an enormous amount of waste - between 2.1 and 2.3 billion tons of municipal solid waste. Alarmingly, only about 61-62% of this waste is properly managed in controlled facilities. 

The International Day of Zero Waste taking place on the 30th of March marks an important day and aims to tackle the worldwide waste pollution crisis. The impact of poor waste management costs the global economy hundreds of billions of dollars every year and contributes to climate change, environmental degradation, land and biodiversity loss and air, water, soil pollution impacting both human health and the planet.

The focus of this year is on the fashion and textile sector to reduce waste and advance circular solutions. Fueled by increasing production and consumption, clothing output doubled between 2000 and 2015, resulting in a staggering 92 million tonnes of waste. This surge has triggered critical environmental, economic, and social challenges, disproportionately affecting the Global South. The textile industry's annual contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions ranges from 2–8 percent, coupled with an immense water consumption of 215 trillion liters, comparable to filling 86 million Olympic-sized swimming pools. Just by doubling the number of times a garment is worn would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 44 per cents.
UNEP (UN Environment Programme) and UN-Habitat urge all stakeholders – including governments, civil society, businesses, academia, communities and youth – to actively engage in initiatives at  national, subnational, regional and local levels.
Consumers should prioritize reuse, repair, recycling, and durable clothing over fast fashion. The private sector must reduce production volumes and design for durability, repairability, and recyclability, adopting circular models, prioritizing sustainable materials and helping rebuild biodiversity. Governments must enforce regulations on chemicals, invest in recycling infrastructure and incentivize sustainable business practices to facilitate a circular economy.

Zero Waste Italy Association has launched an appeal to municipal administrations, businesses, civil society, academia, and citizens to mobilize and organize awareness-raising events, as announced by the UN from March 1st to April 5th, 2025. 

However, the initiatives are not enough, addressing this challenge requires systemic change through sustainable production and consumption, and circular solutions. A zero-waste systemic approach is key to this transition.