First Lady Sajidha Mohamed has called on manufacturers to take greater responsibility for the environmental impact of their products, stressing that tackling waste pollution must begin at its source.

She made the appeal while addressing the high-level meeting of the Global Zero Waste Alliance in Antalya, Türkiye, held at the initiative of Türkiye’s First Lady, Emine Erdoğan, on the sidelines of the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31).

In her address, First Lady Sajidha highlighted the harmful effects of marine waste on coral reefs, marine life and food chains. She emphasised that discarded waste does not simply disappear and urged manufacturers to take responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their products, rather than considering their obligations fulfilled once products are sold.

She also commended Türkiye’s leadership in advancing the global zero-waste movement and reaffirmed the Maldives' full support for the objectives of the Global Zero Waste Alliance.

Highlighting the Maldives' efforts to strengthen waste management, the First Lady pointed to amendments introduced by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu to the Waste Management Act. These amendments aim to prohibit the illegal importation of waste into the country and impose stricter penalties on those involved in the trade of hazardous waste.

She further stressed that countries such as the Maldives, which depend heavily on imported and externally manufactured products, are often left carrying the burden of managing the waste generated by those products.

In this regard, she called for environmentally friendly packaging, greater use of innovative technologies and improved access to financing to support the transition towards a circular economy.

The First Lady also underscored the importance of families, schools and communities in driving sustainable change, noting that environmental responsibility must be instilled in children from an early age.

She emphasised that meaningful change begins at home, is reinforced through schools and grows through collective community action.

The meeting also marked the official launch of the Global Zero Waste Alliance, building on Türkiye's Zero Waste initiative launched in 2017. The alliance brings together governments, United Nations agencies and international partners to promote sustainable waste management practices worldwide.