Bringing together the identities of an expert industry initiative and an active non-governmental organization, ÇEVKO Foundation, in its message for World Recycling Week, states that recycling, which is of great importance for a sustainable world, is a multi-stakeholder process involving different segments of society, and that the starting point of the process is individuals. emphasis was placed on creating
ÇEVKO Foundation, which was established in 1991 as a voluntary industry initiative to contribute to sustainable development with a focus on recycling, and which has gained the identity of a non-governmental organization touching large masses with its works that it has continued with an increasing momentum for 31 years, especially in recent years, "Combating the climate crisis" and It is one of the leading institutions that undertake intellectual leadership in the "transition to the circular economy".
Stating that all individuals have a responsibility for a sustainable world, ÇEVKO Foundation Secretary General Mete İmer said, “We should not forget that waste is actually a resource. Waste is recycled and used as a raw material for the production of new products. Thanks to the use of recycled waste as raw materials, energy savings are achieved; water, trees, oil, etc. natural resources are conserved. Production cost decreases, new job opportunities are created, thus contributing to the country's economy. Above all, a more livable environment and natural resources are left to future generations, where they will be happier. The starting point of this value chain is us as individuals and our positive behaviors. On the other hand, it is also among our responsibilities to ensure that wastes are reused as raw materials, that is, to collect our waste separately in our homes for recycling and to ensure their recycling. Every individual who is sensitive to these issues can contribute voluntarily to spread these positive behaviors around them, starting from the closest ones, and to increase awareness and awareness on this issue.
Mete İmer stated that ÇEVKO Foundation, the representative of Extended Producer Responsibility, as Turkey's first authorized institution in its field, collected and recycled approximately 7.5 million tons of packaging waste in the last 15 years from 2005 to 2020. In order to fulfill the legal responsibilities of the enterprise, with their financial support, it has realized with the expanded producer responsibility model. With the new regulations that came into force in the field of waste management, after 2020, the responsibility for the management of packaging and other wastes in our country has been taken over by the public authority. Economic enterprises, on the other hand, have come to the point where they pay recovery participation fee to the state.
Stating that recycling is a cultural issue that concerns different segments of the society, Mete İmer said, "Since the day we were established as ÇEVKO Foundation, we have been trying to spread the recycling culture and make the majority of the society acquire the habit of collecting separately at the source, through the training of trainers in schools, in homes and workplaces. We carry out communication activities, whether through briefings, large events with large crowds, or through the media. It is a simple but effective step to separately collect the packaging wastes of the products we use in our daily living spaces and dispose of them at the packaging waste points in our neighborhoods. Individuals who do not have a waste point in their neighborhood can contact their municipalities about this issue.
Adding that ÇEVKO Digital Solutions, developed within the scope of ÇEVKO Foundation, facilitate the lives of municipalities, public institutions and commercial enterprises in this regard, Mete İmer said, “ÇEVKO Digital Solutions are innovative, easy to install and can be developed according to requirements, with many features such as shopping malls, chain markets, hotels, gas stations, etc. It is capable of providing a holistic digital solution to the waste management processes of a wide variety of businesses.”
Mete İmer, who invites everyone who wants to get more information about the choices that will contribute to sustainable life, to be a part of the activities that will help raise awareness of the society and spread awareness on this issue, to become a Volunteer of ÇEVKO Foundation, continued his words as follows: “Expanding ÇEVKO Volunteers is a priority in the coming period. It is one of the topics we will cover. In addition to active volunteer participation in our activities, anyone who wants to set an example for their environment in individual contribution to sustainable waste management, take part in our awareness-raising activities and make voluntary contributions for a sustainable world can apply to become a ÇEVKO Volunteer on the website of our Foundation.”
