Waste from Neighborhood Markets Is Being Recycled

Through a collaboration between Büyükçekmece Municipality and Yaşamı İyileştiriyoruz Environment and Climate Association, fruit and vegetable waste from neighborhood markets is being biologically decomposed and recycled. Under the Biodegradable Waste Management Project implemented by Büyükçekmece Municipality, waste collected from neighborhood markets is being biologically decomposed to produce compost fertilizer. The compost fertilizer produced will be distributed to farmers for use as a soil conditioner.

Büyükçekmece Municipality Producing Compost Fertilizer from Fruit and Vegetable Waste

Büyükçekmece Municipality continues its activities to ensure sustainability. As a result of collaboration with Yaşamı İyileştiriyoruz Environment and Climate Association, the municipality collects waste vegetables and fruits generated in neighborhood markets. The collected vegetable and fruit waste undergoes biological decomposition and is subsequently converted into compost fertilizer. The compost fertilizer will be distributed to farmers for use on their land. Within the scope of this implemented project, various training sessions were provided to farmers and environmental associations. Following these trainings, the first application was conducted with the participation of environmental volunteers, scout clubs and citizens. The waste was practically composted.

Providing 38 Percent Yield Increase

Ebru Baybara Demir, founder of Yaşamı İyileştiriyoruz Environment and Climate Association, made statements on the matter. Demir said: "Today, together with volunteers at the neighborhood market and municipal staff, we are collecting biodegradable waste, and tomorrow we will compost it. After these biodegradable waste materials are converted into compost in an aerobic environment, the waste collected here will be returned to the soil. As compost fertilizer to be shared with farmers. Büyükçekmece Municipality started as Istanbul's first biodegradable waste production project. The most important work we do is produce compost by returning what comes from the soil back to the soil. This compost reduces agricultural irrigation to one-third. It reduces chemical fertilizer use to one-fifth. It provides a 38 percent yield increase in farmers using it for the first time. It prevents erosion, of course. When applied regularly, applied to the soil regularly for 4 years, it also changes the regular microclimate and provides rainfall distribution. We will implement this project with 60 municipalities across Turkey that are waiting for us. What is important for us is that our first project in Istanbul started with Büyükçekmece Municipality today."

"Being First in Such a Beautiful Initiative Made Us Very Happy"

Mimarsinan Middle School teacher and student voluntarily participated in the practical composting of the waste and made statements. Başak Yörük, who teaches Science at Mimarsinan Middle School, said: "Our interest in this event started with making compost fertilizer for the TÜBİTAK Science Fair at our school. Later, we participated in our municipality's training on this biodegradable waste management and came this far with Gözde. Yesterday we collected waste from the market together with our students and scouts. We collected organic waste. We separated the non-organic garbage in it. Then we mixed the waste coming here with shavings and will continue to observe the composting process here. We are volunteers on behalf of our school. Teachers, parents and students support us. Moreover, the fact that our municipality is the first in Istanbul, being first in such a beautiful initiative made us very happy. Thank you."

"Helping the Environment Makes Me Feel Happy"

Elifnur Temir, a student at Mimarsinan Middle School, said: "I am 13 years old. I study at Mimarsinan Middle School. I feel very lucky to be part of this project. Because helping the environment by doing such things makes me feel happy. Making compost organically through our effort instead of producing soil chemically makes me proud, frankly. I am very grateful to Büyükçekmece Municipality for carrying out such work." Source