Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay distributed QR coded bags to citizens in Manavkuyu Neighborhood, which was recently added to the “Start Transformation at Home” project launched in 6 districts and 9 neighborhoods determined as pilots by Izmir Metropolitan Municipality. Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay said, “We trust the people of Izmir, our people. We believe in their sensitivity. We also believe that they will help us.”
The Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, which implemented the door-to-door waste collection project pioneered by European countries in Izmir in recent months, initially started in Karabağlar, Narlıdere, Menderes, Bornova, Bayraklı and added a new one to the 9 pilot neighborhoods it determined in Konak. The project, which was initiated with the aim of reducing packaging waste going to the Harmandalı Regular Solid Waste Storage Area, achieving a zero carbon target, protecting the environment and ensuring that these wastes are recycled into the economy, Bayraklı's Manavkuyu Neighborhood has also been added. Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay distributed blue bags with QR codes to citizens in Manavkuyu, the new address of the project carried out in cooperation with Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Climate Change and Zero Waste Department and İZDOĞA AŞ, one of the municipality affiliates. When the citizens opened the door and saw Mayor Tugay in front of them, they could not hide their surprise. The residents of the neighborhood, who said they were happy to support the project, thanked Mayor Tugay for his work.
Tugay: We trust the people of Izmir
Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay, who announced that the project was started in pilot neighborhoods and will spread to the entire city, said, “We started collecting recycling waste from homes separately. Maybe in 1 or 1,5 years, we will switch to this system in all of Izmir. We continue to work on this. Plastic in particular destroys nature. On the other hand, the more garbage is produced, the harder it is to dispose of it. We collect 6 thousand tons of garbage per day in Izmir. When we put 6 thousand tons of garbage in the landfill, it creates permanent pollution. That is why we want to switch to a system where we recycle garbage that should not be thrown away as soon as possible. We trust the people of Izmir, our people. We believe in their sensitivity. We also believe that they will help us. After a while, this will become mandatory, everyone will do it. There will be a penalty system for those who do not do it. We are doing and will do what is necessary. We expect the participation of our citizens.”
Citizens could not hide their surprise
Mayor Tugay entered the Papatya Apartment in Manavkuyu Neighborhood and knocked on the first door. Hüsne Tekmen, who opened the door, could not hide her surprise when she saw Mayor Tugay wearing a staff uniform and a hat. Tekmen, who invited Mayor Tugay to her house, stated that the project was important and said they would support it. Mayor Tugay, who then toured the apartment, explained to the residents what could and could not be thrown in the QR coded bags and when the bags would be collected.
“This project will eliminate the negative effects”
Feyzi Erkon, who participated in the project, said, “First of all, I would like to thank our municipality for this project. Waste causes environmental pollution in nature. It does not disappear in nature either. The project will eliminate negative effects. I think it is very useful because it will contribute to the economy to some extent. I hope the public will support it and the project will be successful.”
“The damage it causes to nature is very bad”
Nihal Bilir said, “My daughter had previously submitted a petition regarding this issue. I have always been against it being thrown out. The damage it does to nature is very bad. I am very, very happy that this project has started. It benefits both the municipality, us and nature, that is what is important. It is a habit that children should acquire. It should also be done in schools. I thank our mayor very much, I thank him for coming here.”
178 tons of waste collected
The Transformation Start at Home Project, which started in 6 districts and 9 neighborhoods, reached all streets. 85 percent of the streets actively participate in the project. The return rates in the project reached 60 percent in May. While the number of bags given in the first weeks of the project was significantly higher than the waste collected, the number of waste bags collected increased from the 4th week onwards, and the balance was achieved in the 7th week. A total of 178 tons of waste was collected. 36 percent of the waste was plastic, 30 percent glass, 25 percent paper-cardboard, 9 percent metal and 1 percent household waste.
Effective waste management with QR code tracking system
There is a QR code on the waste bags collected weekly by the personnel from the households. Throughout the project, information about the households is recorded in the database created thanks to the application developed by İzmir İnovasyon ve Teknoloji AŞ, a subsidiary of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality. In this way, the households and waste bags collected are matched. The packaging waste in the collected bags is separated according to its type at the İzDönüşüm Factory and added to the economy. Only packaging waste should be thrown into the waste bags. Those who throw organic waste into the bags distributed by the municipality are subject to penal sanctions.
What can't be put in a blue bag?
Paper, cardboard, notebooks, books, newspapers, magazines, PET bottles, tin cans, cleaning packages, plastic, bags, metal and glass bottles and jars can be thrown into the distributed blue bags. Izmir Metropolitan Municipality officials warn citizens not to throw cardboard cups, paper towels, tissues and napkins, straws, porcelain items, cigarette butts, chewing gum, diapers, styrofoam foam, adhesive tape, wax paper, baking paper, toothpaste tubes, single-use forks, knives, plates and packaging foam.
