Overview
- The coordinated push, voiced Monday during the International Day of Zero Waste, urged practical steps from farms to homes and called on public institutions and businesses to lead by example.
- President Asif Ali Zardari linked food waste to food security and climate pressures and asked households to buy only what they need, store food properly, and use leftovers.
- He called for better post-harvest handling, reliable storage, and stronger cold chains to cut losses between the farm and the market.
- At the UN in New York, envoy Asim Iftikhar Ahmad pressed for concessional technology transfer and dedicated finance so developing countries can build waste reduction systems.
- Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz highlighted the Clean Punjab program, plastic bag bans, landfill conversion to green spaces and solar parks, and new waste-to-value projects.