18 March Global Recycling Day Celebrated

18 March Global Recycling Day Observed Istanbul Technical University Faculty Member and President of the Sustainable Production and Consumption Association Prof. Dr. Filiz Karaosmanoğlu made special statements for 18 March Global Recycling Day with emphasis on recyclables being our national wealth. Waste is generated everywhere during production and consumption. Materials such as wood, batteries, glass, electrical and electronic equipment, paper, metal, plastic, vehicles, textiles and oils that become waste after completing their useful lifespan in our lives are valuable raw materials. Recyclables are considered the seventh natural resource after air, water, coal, petroleum, natural gas and minerals. For our country's circular economy, recyclables are our domestic raw material and national wealth. The Sustainable Production and Consumption Association (SÜT-D), which works on the importance of recycling and advanced recycling in best waste management practices and their interaction with climate change, has been marking Global Recycling Day under the leadership of the Global Recycling Foundation since 2019. The association is calling for action: let us not discard our waste, let us separate it at source, create value from waste, and protect our world.

Creative innovation for recyclables

Istanbul Technical University Faculty Member and SÜT-D President Prof. Dr. Filiz Karaosmanoğlu noted that the theme of Global Recycling Day 2023 is Creative Innovation, emphasizing that creative ideas from each of us, our cities and the business world are important for recyclables. The Global Recycling Foundation's Recycling Heroes Award creates widespread impact. Turkey's successes should reach the international agenda and we should have candidates from our country, she said, extending SÜT-D's greetings to those in our country who create value with recyclables and protect our green and blue resources.

Recyclables are our domestic raw material and national wealth

Prof. Dr. Filiz Karaosmanoğlu said that managing our waste is everyone's responsibility. If we release waste into nature, we pollute the environment, change our climate and destroy our biodiversity. Products and packaging that have completed their useful lifespan are not garbage but recyclables for our industry—domestic raw materials. When recyclables enter our industry for processing, they become our national wealth through the employment and added value they create in our circular economy, she stated. According to data from the International Recycling Bureau (BRI), 40 percent of the world's raw material needs are met through recyclables. The sector employs 1.6 million people and receives USD 20 million in investment annually, with contributions to Global Gross Domestic Product projected to exceed USD 400 billion over the next decade. Dr. Karaosmanoğlu, stressing that alongside this economic contribution there is equally important impact on sustainable life on our planet, noted that when recyclables are processed, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by over 700 million tons annually—equivalent to offsetting aviation-origin emissions—contributing to the fight against climate change, while preventing damage to our water and terrestrial ecosystems and loss of biodiversity.

Create value from waste

Dr. Karaosmanoğlu said "First, we must be conscious when purchasing. We should not forget to ask ourselves whether we really need to make this purchase. We should ensure our products are long-lasting and repairable. Once we call something waste, let us not throw it away but separate it. We should know which waste goes where and how to dispose of it. If we do not know, let us learn and ask our district municipalities. Let us know the garbage collection day in our neighborhood, any separate waste collection days if they exist, and the location of the nearest recycling bin. Let us manage our waste at home, at school, at work, in the field, in the forest, in water and protect our environment, our biodiversity and our climate. Each of us has a role to play for recyclables in our country. Let us not forget." Emphasizing the call to not discard our waste, to separate it at source and create value from waste, she extended an invitation to the VIII. Istanbul Carbon Summit to be held at ITU on 2 May 2023 for Climate-Resilient Industry and a Stronger Turkey.