GETAM to Award Sustainability Certificate to Companies

GETAM to Issue Sustainability Certificates to Companies GETAM, under a cooperation protocol signed between ÇEVKO Foundation (Environment Protection and Packaging Waste Evaluation Foundation) and Yıldız Technical University (YTÜ), began operations on 23 November 2023 with support from Istanbul Development Agency's Innovative Istanbul Financial Support Programme. ÇEVKO Secretary General Mete İmer said that sustainability discourse has become frequent in recent times and that consumers must be protected from misleading claims on this subject. İmer noted that the center holds great importance in ensuring that sustainability claims are certified based on provable scientific data, stating: "A number of countries and international institutions have begun taking measures on this matter because everyone is talking about sustainability. Claims are being made regarding recycling and environmental awareness, but it is very important that these claims are based on scientific data." İmer emphasized that, according to information contained in the Guide on Advertisements Containing Environmental Claims published by the Ministry of Commerce, sustainability claims must be scientifically demonstrable in nature. He indicated that all necessary tests can be conducted at the center to achieve scientific results within this scope. İmer said they developed software enabling industrial facilities to easily request tests related to their operations and access results at the touch of a button. "This is being done in a few centers in Europe, but this is the first time it is being done in our country, which is very important for us. If suitable conditions are provided, it will be possible for test requests to come from abroad and for us to conduct the tests here. In this respect, publicizing this center is very important for Turkey," he said. İmer noted that sustainability certificates will be issued to facilities deemed appropriate based on the results of tests conducted at the center.

"Recycling tests can be completed in three weeks"

Kutsal Bozkurt, Professor at the Department of Physics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences at YTÜ, said the center, which will meet an important need of the industry, will operate under the motto of "clean environment, clean society, conscious consumption and contribution to the circular economy." Bozkurt, expressing that they are working to understand the market's language and address shortcomings in order to contribute to the circular economy, said: "There will be certificates for industrial facilities. They will be able to more easily present to the market information about what percentage of their products is made from recycled material." Bozkurt shared that the center will provide services in two different areas: recycling line and microbial tests. He explained that detailed analyses can be conducted in the recycling section ranging from material structure analysis to recyclability rates, and in the microbial section from biodegradability to microplastics. Bozkurt noted that the recycling line process with mechanical, physical and thermal tests takes an average of 20 days to 3 weeks, while microbial tests can take 30 to 90 days depending on the sample, or in some cases up to one year.

Bozkurt made the following comments about the analysis process:

"First, the incoming product is converted to raw material in the recycling line. The granules we obtain are subjected to relevant tests and analyses. These are mechanical, physical and thermal tests. With the data we obtain from these tests, we can conduct testing and analysis across a broad spectrum, from determining how much has been recycled and what percentage of structural material content falls within the recyclability rate to recycled material content."

R&D work also being carried out at the center

Bozkurt, emphasizing that they have allocated space for R&D work in order to build academic knowledge accumulation at the center, underlined that the center will shed light on both scientific research and analyses. Bozkurt said: "We are continuing our R&D on plastic degradation mechanisms and certain bacterial strains we isolated in Antarctica as well as bacteria we are currently using." Bozkurt noted that the costs of tests conducted at the center are approximately the same as those at comparable centers in Europe, and added that applications for tests conducted at the center can be made at www.getam.cevko.org.tr.   Source