Zero Waste and Recycling Awareness Association (SAGEF) Established
The Zero Waste and Recycling Awareness Association (SAGEF) was established to reduce food loss and waste, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, fight poverty, and increase productivity and economic growth.
The founding president of the association, where its headquarters is in the Bahçelievler district of Istanbul, is Author Ekrem Altıntepe. SAGEF President Ekrem Altıntepe gave the following information about SAGEF’s goals in the written statement he made on the occasion of the foundation of the association:
“One of the biggest obstacles to solving food loss and waste is not understanding the magnitude of the problem. Food that is never eaten also represents a waste of resources such as soil, water, energy, seeds and other inputs used in its production, unnecessarily increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
As SAGEF, we aim to make ‘not wasting food” a personal solution. Every year, 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted in the world and 26 million tons in Turkey.
Most vegetables and fruits, milk and dairy products and bread go to waste in Turkey. As
SAGEF, we will work to reduce food waste by reaching national and international targets.
We aim to make more segments of society aware and take action. We aim to raise public awareness by organizing campaigns, mobilizing the media and social media, promoting discussion and organizing events to reduce food waste.”
