Varkala selected in UN’s inaugural 20 Cities Towards Zero Waste initiative

Key facts

• Varkala in Kerala is among the 20 cities chosen for the inaugural 20 Cities Towards Zero Waste initiative led by the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Zero Waste with support from UN-Habitat and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
• The selected cities are Accra (Ghana), Bologna (Italy), Chefchaouen (Morocco), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Dehiwala City (Sri Lanka), Florianopolis (Brazil), Gaziantep (Turkey), George Town (Malaysia), Hangzhou City (China), Iloilo City (Philippines), Kisumu (Kenya), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Lilongwe (Malawi), San Fernando (Philippines), San Francisco (United States), Sanya City (China), Suzhou City (China), Varkala (India), Yokohama (Japan), and Zapopan (Mexico).
• The initiative recognises cities demonstrating ambitious and innovative approaches to reducing waste, advancing circular economy solutions, and building sustainable, resilient, and inclusive urban systems.
• International Day of Zero Waste is observed annually on 30 March and is jointly facilitated by UNEP and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
• This year’s International Day of Zero Waste focuses on food waste, with around 60 per cent of food waste occurring at the household level and nearly 19 per cent of all food available to consumers wasted every year.
• Humanity generates more than 2.1 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste annually, making cities critical in tackling the waste crisis and its impacts on climate, biodiversity, public health, and livelihoods.