UN-Habitat China Future Cities Council Mobilizes Nationwide Action on the International Day of Zero Waste

This year’s theme — “Towards Zero Waste in Fashion and Textiles” — underscores the urgent need for sustainable consumption and production patterns. CFCC Chair Vanke Foundation launched a large-scale public welfare campaign to mobilize individuals, communities, civil society, and enterprises to adopt low-waste lifestyles. Participants were encouraged to engage in practical actions, such as waste sorting, minimizing single-use items, repairing instead of discarding old belongings, carrying reusable water bottles when traveling, and choosing green mobility options.

The campaign was further amplified by Chengdu Xinchao Media Group Co., Ltd., Vice Chair of CFCC, which broadcast Zero Waste messaging in over 10,000 elevators across 27 cities in China, including 695 residential communities, office buildings, and mixed-use developments. The campaign aired over 10 million times, reaching an estimated audience of 1.9 million people.

Over the past three years, UN-Habitat China has been actively supporting cities across the country to improve solid waste management in line with the Waste SDGs. In collaboration with Vanke Foundation, UN-Habitat has:

• Introduced Chinese cities to the global Waste Wise Cities initiative;
• Conducted two national training sessions for municipal officials and urban practitioners;
• Launched a Chinese version of the Waste Wise Cities Tool (WaCT) online course;
• Compiled and published two volumes of “China Waste Wise Cities Good Practices”, highlighting replicable urban solutions.

The International Day of Zero Waste, observed annually on 30 March, was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly through its resolution “Promoting zero-waste initiatives to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” during its 77th session. The Day serves as a global call to action for reducing waste and transitioning to a circular economy.

Through multistakeholder engagement, knowledge dissemination, and localized campaigns, UN-Habitat China and its CFCC reaffirm their commitment to building inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable urban futures — with zero waste as a shared goal.