EU accession process to give momentum to recycling projects

Ata Ceylan, CEO of Intercon, a Turkish energy consultancy firm, says the launch of the environment chapter is expected to give momentum to new recycling projects and investments. Ceylan, also head of the İstanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO) Energy Committee, told Sunday’s Zaman that his company, which concentrates on projects to use waste material as a source of energy, has accelerated studies in regards to new recycling projects. Underlining that recycling waste is important for both the protection of the environment and to provide added value to the economy, he said studies should be encouraged to this end. “We have recently finalized preliminary studies for a project to supply energy from waste material in Bolu along with our Korean partner Clean Energy & Vehicles [CEV].” He said they expected to start the construction of the facility as soon as the Energy Market Regulatory Agency (EPDK) grants them the necessary permission. There needs to be further incentives to get people and companies to recycle products, he argues, recalling that a recently introduced government regional development program included only limited support for environmental protection. Recalling that Turkey also recently ratified the Kyoto Protocol, Ceylan asserted that the recycling of waste could improve further.

The issue takes on more significance in relation to İstanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture activities. In a written statement to Sunday’s Zaman, the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality waste management department said they allocated some 40 percent of their budget to recycling studies. The municipality is conducting its recycling studies in line with the EU harmonization process. In addition to some projects that are still under way, the municipality expects to shortly begin new recycling projects. The waste management department’s statement said they had carried out these studies jointly with local administrations, encouraged them to take initiatives to this end and followed their work. Mentioning recycling studies as part of İstanbul European Capital of Culture activities, the municipality has been conducting a joint study with the city of Stockholm to develop waste management plans for both cities. The municipality said they expected to finalize these studies, which focus primarily on increasing public awareness on the issue, before the end of February and share the results at a conference to be held in İstanbul. In another project to increase public awareness, the municipality expects to reach some 19,000 students from 162 schools this year.

The İstanbul Environmental Protection and Waste Materials Recycling Industry and Trade Company (İSTAÇ) collected some 50,473 tons of packing wastes in 2009 in a bid to help recycling projects.

Public awareness below desired level

“Public awareness is not at the desired level, and people should be better informed about recycling,” Orhan Kural, from İstanbul Technical University (İTÜ), states, emphasizing that a few new regulations could help increase public interest in the issue. The government should take initiatives in this regard, Kural says. For instance, some 20 countries have banned the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) bags and switched to paper bags, and Turkey should take similar measures for effective environment protection.

Kural said there are some positive developments with regards to recycling efforts in Turkey; however, these are not enough to yield the desired benefits from recycling in the long run. “Today people can leave used drugs and batteries at pharmacies, which bring these to recycling plants later. In addition to this, some institutions collect waste oil from neighborhoods and factories. Studies should be diversified and spread to more fields,” he says.

Kural argues that local administrations should also take on the responsibility of recycling, noting that not all of them exert efforts to this end. Some municipalities take the initiative “from time to time.” However, these attempts fail in the end. The İTÜ academic suggests that people could still develop alternative solutions. “People could separate their waste, which can be recycled, such as paper, plastic, glass and fiber in a separate box at their homes and send these to recycling facilities.” He said some people earn their a living by collecting and selling these items to recycling facilities. Mentioning studies for İstanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture, he said the Greater İstanbul Municipality could have performed better but that they had failed to do so.

PETDER takes on waste oil management

According to the Petroleum Industry Association (PETDER), the launch of the environment chapter with the EU will bring important benefits to the country. Noting that investments in recycling have increased particularly after 2004 in Turkey, association representatives told Sunday’s Zaman in a written statement that they expect current projects to be upgraded to EU standards and that they are committed to contributing to this process. Following a protocol signed with the Ministry of Environment in 2008, PETDER has undertaken “waste oil management” all throughout Turkey. The protocol also empowers PETDER to increase public awareness. The association carries out studies jointly with local administrations, with the municipalities of Adapazarı, Bursa and Kırıkkale some of the local administrations cooperating with PETDER to this end.