Aegean Exporters' Associations Launch Model Project for Sustainable Agriculture

The "Agricultural Pesticide Packaging Waste Disposal/Recycling Project" led by Ege Tobacco Exporters Association continues to grow with the participation of Ege Dried Fruit and Products Exporters Association and Ege Olive and Olive Oil Exporters Association. Within the scope of the project, which aims to collect agricultural pesticide packaging used in farming without harming the environment, a total of 48 waste collection stations were put into operation in Denizli, Aydın and Manisa.

Ege Tobacco Exporters Association, which stands out for its pioneering work in sustainability in Turkey, has been implementing the project for four years with the goal of bringing agricultural pesticide packaging into the recycling system in regions with intensive agricultural production without causing harm to nature and human health.

48 collection points reached
Ege Tobacco Exporters Association Chairman Selim Jimi noted that the project started in 2022 with 11 collection stations established in Acıpayam district of Denizli, and provided the following information:

"We later expanded our project with 6 collection stations in Beyağaç, 6 in Kale, 12 in Tavas and 6 in Karacasu district of Aydın. Today, with 7 new stations established in Salihli district of Manisa, we have reached a total of 48 collection points."

Three exporters associations join forces
Selim Jimi, noting that the first step of the project was taken in 2022 by the Ege Tobacco Exporters Association Sustainability Working Group, stated:

"We continue to monitor 41 waste collection points created in Tavas, Beyağaç, Kale and Acıpayam districts of Denizli and Karacasu district of Aydın in cooperation with local administrations. At the end of 2025, Ege Dried Fruit and Products Exporters Association and Ege Olive and Olive Oil Exporters Association also joined our project. By establishing 7 new collection stations in Manisa, which is one of the common production areas of our three associations, we expanded the project."

Jimi, stating that they aim to spread the project to all production regions, continued as follows:
"We aim to expand our project to cover the production areas of all export products in our region in order to dispose of agricultural pesticide packaging without harm to nature and human health and to bring them into the recycling process. We will continue to contribute to sustainable production in regions with intensive agricultural production. We thank our Salihli Mayor Mazlum Nurlu, Deputy Mayor Selim Akbıyıkoğlu and everyone who contributed to the project."

Target: reach all 78 rural settlements of Salihli
Salihli Deputy Mayor Selim Akbıyıkoğlu, pointing out that Salihli is one of the important centers in agricultural production, stated that agricultural activities are carried out in all 78 rural settlements in the district.

Akbıyıkoğlu noted that they will work to gradually expand the 7 collection stations established in the first phase to all rural settlements, and stated that Salihli Municipality will organize the process of collecting agricultural pesticide packaging accumulated at the stations and delivering it to recycling facilities.

Thanking Ege Exporters Associations for this environmentally conscious exemplary project, Akbıyıkoğlu noted that as a local administration they will continue to support the project for sustainable agricultural production.

Cooperation protocol signed
During the opening of the agricultural pesticide packaging collection station established in Adala settlement of Salihli within the scope of the project, a cooperation protocol was also signed between Salihli Municipality and Ege Exporters Associations.

The protocol was signed by Deputy Mayor Selim Akbıyıkoğlu on behalf of Salihli Municipality and Ege Tobacco Exporters Association Chairman Selim Jimi on behalf of Ege Exporters Associations.

The opening and signing ceremony was attended by Ege Tobacco Exporters Association Chairman Selim Jimi, Salihli Deputy Mayors Selim Akbıyıkoğlu and A. Yavuz Özdem, Salihli Chamber of Commerce and Industry Board Chairman İbrahim Yüksel, Ege Tobacco Exporters Association Board Members İsmet Çakın and Osman Umur, and Ege Exporters Associations General Secretary İ. Cumhur İşbırakmaz.