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The first authorized organization for the recovery of packaging waste in Turkey, the ÇEVKO Foundation continues to contribute to environmental sustainability and the economy. Acting as a leader for 27 years on the way to a sustainable recovery system and helping the industry fulfill its obligations, the ÇEVKO Foundation once again created significant value in 2017 for environmental sustainability. The recovery activities of the Foundation contributed TRY 2.6 billion to the country’s economy.
Noting that as the authorized organization they were fulfilling the recovery obligations of more than 1,800 packaging users that place packaged products on the market, the Secretary General of the ÇEVKO Foundation Mete İmer said, “We build partnerships with local governments and licensed companies in order to collect packaging waste at the source on behalf of the producers and economic enterprises we represent. In addition to that, we organize communication, awareness-raising and education activities.”
Stating that it was technically and economically possible to recover all packaging waste made of glass, metal, plastic, paper-cardboard, composites and wood many times, Mete İmer added, “We have been active for 27 years in the development of the recycling system we lead. We cooperate with 162 municipalities in 30 provinces with a total population of 26 million. We undertake the recovery obligations of packaging users that have partnered with ÇEVKO. The recovery activities we carried out on behalf of the industry in cooperation with municipalities and licensed packaging waste collection, sorting and recycling companies resulted in savings of fossil fuels, water and energy. Less natural resources and energy were consumed. These recovery efforts made a positive contribution of TRY 2.6 billion to the country’s economy.”
Recovery Protected the Air We Breathe and the Forests, and Saved Water and Energy
Mete İmer summarized the economic and environmental benefits achieved with the documented recycling of packaging waste in 2017 as follows:
• The recycling of packaging waste made of paper, cardboard, wood and composites saved 4,715,000 trees, equivalent to roughly 94 thousand acres of forestland.
• 130 million liters of gas was saved thanks to the recycling of plastic packaging waste. This amount is enough to fill the fuel tanks of about 2.9 million cars.
• 7.3 billion liters of water was saved through the recovery of packaging waste made of paper-cardboard/composites, equivalent to the annual water consumption of 41,505 families.
• 2.7 billion kWh electricity was saved with recovered packaging waste, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of almost one million (977 thousand) families.
• Thanks to the recycling of packaging waste instead of their burial in landfills, 3,645,000 m3 of landfill space was spared, equivalent to the volume of about 1,457 Olympic-size swimming pools.
• Greenhouse gas emission amounting to 339,700 tons of CO2, equivalent to the amount emitted by an airplane circumnavigating the globe 16,985 times, was prevented.
The culture of recovery and habit of separating at the source are spreading
Stressing that it was possible to create much more value for a sustainable environment if the majority of the society acquired the habit of separate collection at the source and if a culture of recycling was established, Mete İmer said, “We continue to work with the public sector, local governments, communities and industry to spread a culture of recovery and the habit of separate collection at the source. As the most established authorized organization in this field we focus on raising awareness. This includes trainings we organize for primary school teachers, and theatre plays for children. We address individuals through public service announcements, commercials and news articles. We reward exemplary practices that Green Dot member organizations implement beyond their legal obligations through our ‘Green Dot Industry Awards’. Our ‘Green Dot Press Awards’ serve to encourage media outlets that give priority to news items that are geared toward raising the awareness of and informing the society with regard to the environment and recycling. We work with all related parties, notably the members of our foundation, to expand the ‘Zero Waste’ project initiated by our Ministry of Environment and Urbanization. We organize events such as the Circular Economy Congress in 2017. Via our projects executed by both our foundation and together with our members, we will continue our efforts in order to increase individual awareness and turn this attitude into a habitual behavior.”
The Industrial Development Bank of Turkey (TSKB) plays an important role in the reduction of Turkey’s carbon emission with its financing models for the combat with climate change. The bank has contributed to a 12-million-ton decrease in Turkey’s yearly carbon-dioxide emission with innovative solutions in the transition to low carbon economy.
On the occasion of World Environment Day, the General Manager of TSKB Suat İnce said, “We have our signature on many innovations and firsts in the area of sustainability. So far we have provided a loan of $ 4.9 billion only for renewable energy projects. At the same time we created sources for 299 renewable energy projects of 5.617 MW making up 15% of Turkey’s installed renewable energy power. Also, we financed $ 900 million for 131 projects in the field of energy and resource efficiency. As a result of all these, we are proud to have contributed to a yearly 12-million-ton decrease in the carbon emission of our country.”
Şişli Municipality and ÇEVKO are in a ‘Fun’ collaboration to instill the habit of separating waste at its source for recycling.
The recycling bins in 24 different locations in Nişantaşı have been ‘dressed up’ by artist Serkan Altuniğne’s custom made recycling-themed caricatures that make one smile and think at the same time. The caricatures convey the message ‘Waste is Recycled, Şişli is Beautified’ and also aim to attract more attention to the recycling bins which have an important mission in terms of environmental sustainability. These pleasant recycling bins were put up on 5th June 2018, World Environment Day.
Caricature artist Altuniğne, who lives and pursues his career in Germany, says that recycling has become a part of the established culture in that country, and continues, “They try to teach you how to recycle in the integration courses while teaching the German language. Also in schools there are lessons on this subject, and you learn while still a child that recycling and waste separation is as natural as breathing, and the consequences will be dire if it is not done. The best part of the collaboration with ÇEVKO is that I will be able to convey to the people in a fun way the consciousness I have acquired on this important matter.”
On the subject, Mete İmer said, “We believe that the step we have taken in the collaboration with the Şişli Münicipality will render good results.”
The previous year ÇEVKO Foundation had organized the International Circular Economy Congress in Turkey. This year the foundation’s target is continuity in thought and action in terms of circular economy with a series of workshops. The first of these, the New Plastics Economy Workshop was held on May 2nd 2018 with the participation of 31 representatives.
At the presentation by ÇEVKO Foundation, the work of the Ellen McArthur Foundation titled “New Plastics Economy” was taken into hand, and it was pointed out that 30% by weight of the current plastic packagings could not be reused or recycled without basic design and innovation. It was also stated that reusing would create an economic opportunity for at least 20% of plastic packaging materials; and the recycling of the remaining 50% would become economically attractive following the collaborative works on the design and post-use systems.
June 8th has been celebrated as World Oceans Day since 1992 with the decision of the United Nations. On this date this year, Bosphorus University hosted a workshop, ‘Time for Action for Turkey’s Plastic Waste: Eco-friendly Production, Responsible Consumption, Effective Recycling.’
At the workshop attention was drawn to the fact that the Mediterranean has become one of the seas with the highest level of plastic pollution.
THE MEDITERRANEAN IS SENDING OUT SIGNALS OF ALARM!
According to the “Escape from the Plastic Trap: Saving the Mediterranean from the Plastic Pollution Report” presented by Tolga Yücel, WWF Turkey Communications Director, 60 million tons of plastic is produced in the world, which creates 27 million tons of plastic waste. It is emphasized in the report that the amount of plastic waste in the seas is one of the most important problems awaiting global solution and this waste causes damage to the ecosystem of the seas estimated at $13 billion. It is also reported that 144 tons/day of plastic waste is dumped into the sea in Turkey.
‘LEGAL ARRANGEMENT IS MANDATORY’
The General Secretary of the Sustainable Development Association Konca Çalkıvık said, “A truck load of plastic waste goes into the seas every minute; every year 9 million tons of plastic waste go into the oceans. It is not possible to solve the global problem of plastic waste without local-regional cooperation.” Çalkıvık underlined the fact that trying to solve the problem with volunteers was not enough, legal regulations were also necessary.
Mete İmer, General Secretary of ÇEVKO Foundation spoke at the session and said that the issue of plastic was also included in the circular economy studies of the foundation. İmer gave information on the extended producer responsibility model and the works of ÇEVKO. İmer went on, “The future of the new plastic economy, which is a part of circular economy, lies in innovative solutions. These solutions are only possible with the collaboration of the public and the industry in the designing and recycling of plastic packagings.” The videos prepared by ÇEVKO on the recycling of plastic were shared with the participants at the same session.
The zero waste studies which began in the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization building and which fall under the target of covering the whole of Turkey starting with the public institutions with the “Zero Waste Action Plan” by 2023 are in full throttle. The plan is to spread the project over the country incrementally with Ankara as the starting point. Alongside public institutions the project will cover educational institutions, shopping malls, hospitals, fun-rest facilities, and big businesses.
The Ministry of Environment and Urbanization has recently announced the realization of their website www.sifiratik.csb.gov.tr where they have compiled all their studies regarding zero waste. On the website are zero waste activities, educational trainings, zero waste principles, application criteria, news and announcements, and a promotion film of the activities of the ministry.
According to the ministry data, a total of 150 tons of assessable waste, of which 140 tons is packaging waste, have been collected.
Global energy-related carbon emissions rose to a historic high of 32.5 gigatons last year, after three years of being flat, due to higher energy demand and the slowing of energy efficiency improvements, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said.
Global energy demand rose by 2.1 percent last year to 14,050 million tonnes of oil equivalent, more than twice the previous year’s rate, boosted by strong economic growth, according to preliminary estimates from the IEA.
Energy demand rose by 0.9 percent in 2016 and 0.9 percent on average over the previous five years.
Over 70 percent of global energy demand growth was met by oil, natural gas and coal, while renewables accounted for almost all of the rest, the IEA said in a report.
Improvements in energy efficiency slowed last year. As a result of these trends, global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions increased by 1.4 percent in 2017 to 32.5 gigatons, a record high.
“The significant growth in global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in 2017 tells us that current efforts to combat climate change are far from sufficient,” said Fatih Birol, the IEA’s executive director.
“For example, there has been a dramatic slowdown in the rate of improvement in global energy efficiency as policy makers have put less focus in this area.”
Carbon dioxide emissions are the primary cause of global average temperature rise, which countries are seeking to curb to avoid the most devastating effects of climate change.
At talks in Germany late last year among almost 200 nations about details of a global climate accord, scientists presented data showing that world carbon emissions were set to rise 2 percent in 2017 to a new record.
EMISSIONS
“Global emissions need to peak soon and decline steeply to 2020; this decline will now need to be even greater given the increase in emissions in 2017,” the IEA said in its report.
The IEA said Asian countries accounted for two thirds of the global increase in emissions. China’s emissions rose by 1.7 percent to 9.1 gigatons, limited by renewables deployment and more rapid switching to gas from coal.
Most major economies saw an increase in carbon emissions, though Britain, the United States, Mexico and Japan experienced declines.
The biggest drop came from the United States, where they were down 0.5 percent to 4.8 gigatons due to higher renewables deployment.
The IEA said oil demand grew by 1.6 percent, or 1.5 million barrels a day, more than twice the average annual rate over the past decade, driven by the transport sector and rising petrochemical demand.
Natural gas consumption grew by 3 percent - the most of all fossil fuels - with China alone accounting for nearly a third of the growth. This was largely due to abundant and relatively low-cost supplies, the IEA said.
Coal demand was 1 percent higher last year, reversing declines over the previous two years, due to rises in coal-fired electricity generation, mostly in Asia.
However, renewables-based electricity generation rose by 6.3 percent, due to the expansion of wind, solar and hydropower. Renewables had the highest growth rate of any energy source, meeting a quarter of world energy demand growth, the IEA said.
June 5th 1972 was announced by the United Nations as World Environment Day and since then has been celebrated worldwide for 46 years to increase environmental awareness. On this important day this year ÇEVKO Foundation participated in the events organized by a total of 52 municipalities including İstanbul and provided informative material on recycling, reaching more than 75 thousand consumers.
Herein we would like to share some of these activities with our readers.
Environmentalist Children of Yenimahalle Lecture Grown-Ups – June 3rd
Thousands of children filling up the Hasan Doğan Stadium drew attention to the importance of environment. During the event, the children together with their YENİMEK teachers had the time of their lives with activities like the art of ‘ebru’, doll-making workshop, fragrant stone art, and ceramic art. Kindergarten kids learned about the environment through games and fun.
The Mayor of Yenimahalle, Fethi Yaşar, also attended the festival and participated in the cloth bag painting activity with the children, later having photos taken with them.
World Environment Day at Esenyurt – June 4th
Esenyurt Municipality celebrated the World Environment Day this year with the slogan “Our Nature Asks Us A Favour” in various schools and town squares, informing the public in the process. ÇEVKO Information Team and the packaging waste mascots met up with the residents of Esenyurt on this special day. Mayor Ali Murat Alatepe also participated in the celebrations where the public and students were informed on environment and recycling.
