Extended Producer Responsibility (GÜS) is an effective model to fulfill the recycling targets in waste management. It enables the industry to contribute to the process financially and technically as well as in operations and communication. Here we will talk about ÇEVKO Foundation’s contributions to the reduction of greenhouse gases in order to combat the climate change with the GÜS model in recycling.
A substantial part of recyclable waste in terms of volume and weight comes from
. glass,
. metal,
. plastic,
. paper/cardboard,
. composite,
. wood
In order to explain the GÜS model in packaging waste management, it is necessary to take a look at the life cycle of the packaging (See: outline 1). In circular economy used packagings are collected from the consumers at the source and separately from other waste, and following the necessary procedures they are recycled to be used in the making of new products.
Picture 1. Life Cycle of The Packaging
Importer brand owners who are specifically launchers, and packers calculate the costs of collecting, separating and recycling after consumption, and add these costs to the price of the product. They organize this collecting, separating and recycling activities through authorized organizations, and this is the GÜS model. Authorized organizations give financial and technical support, they work to create awareness of recycling in the consumers and for their education on the issue.
As one of these authorized organizations, ÇEVKO Foundation has been working in collaboration with over 1.800 companies in Turkey, 165 municipalities in 30 cities, and 30 million consumers on the collecting, separating, and recycling of packaging waste since 2005. The certified amount of recycled packaging waste by ÇEVKO in 2017 has reached 656,935 tons.
The sustainable benefits of the recycling works of ÇEVKO that are increasing in volume every year are:
- Reduction of raw material, water and energy
- Protection of trees
- Effective use of regular waste storage areas
- Reduction of greenhouse gas emission
PRO EUROPE has developed the “CO2 Reporting Device” in order to report the reduced CO2 emission as a result of the recycling of packaging waste. PRO EUROPE is a non-profit structure constituted by 31 recycling organizations from 31 countries with ÇEVKO from Turkey; and members of PRO EUROPE use the Green Dot as a symbol to show the financial contribution of the industry to the collecting, separating and recycling of packaging waste.
“CO2 Reporting Device” calculates the decrease in the emission of greenhouse gases in the phase from the collecting of the waste up to the end of the recycling process (See: Pic 2).
Picture 2. The life Cycle of Packaging – Processes Where “CO2 Reporting Device” Is Used
As a result of the increasing amount of collecting and recycling waste, contribution to the reduction of greenhouse gas emission is also increasing. Between 2015 and 2020 it is estimated that the decrease in the emission of greenhouse gases will be around 2 million 22 thousand tons owing to the efforts of ÇEVKO (See: Table 1).
Certified recycled waste (tons) by ÇEVKO. Decrease in the emission of greenhouse gases (equivalent to CO2 tons)
Table 1. Decrease In The Emission of Greenhouse Gases Due To The Efforts of ÇEVKO
Mete İmer
Secretary General | ÇEVKO Foundation
