President Palancıoğlu explained environmental and zero waste efforts at ENVIRONMENTFEST

Melikgazi Municipality Mayor Assoc. Dr. Mustafa Palancıoğlu participated in the ENVIRONMENTFEST held at Ankara National Garden with the theme ‘We all have a world.’ Known for his achievements in zero waste, environmental protection, and sustainability, Mayor Palancıoğlu attended the ‘Zero Waste Journey’ panel and said the following: ‘Zero waste is at the center of the steps we take for environmental protection and sustainability, and we are proud of the achievements we have made in this field. Our efforts, starting with the distribution and collection of blue bags in 4,000 buildings within the borders of Melikgazi Municipality on a regular basis, are supported by 63 personnel and 15 vehicles. This team, along with 400 Zero Waste Collection Equipment, provides collection and sorting services for packaging waste. We conduct a meticulous sorting process for packaging waste, collecting and separating 12 different types of packaging waste such as paper, plastic, nylon, PET bottles, glass, metal, textile, waste batteries, end-of-life tires, electronic waste, vegetable oils, and wood waste regularly. With our annual capacity of collecting about 8,000 tons of mixed packaging waste, we are taking a significant step in protecting our environment. Our Zero Waste and Education Facility is one of the reference collection-separation facilities in our country. In 2024, we provided zero waste education to 3,000 students in our training room. Among the innovations we have implemented at our facility is the ‘Moving Lego Recycling Plant Model.’ This project was awarded in the Zero Waste Idea Project Implementation Competition for Municipalities organized by the Union of Turkish Municipalities and the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change, receiving a grant of 500,000 TL. Melikgazi Municipality is taking a pioneering role in zero waste. We have received the First Level Zero Waste Basic Certificate and General Zero Waste Certificate as public buildings in our district. Moreover, by signing protocols with 8 municipalities in our province, we have ensured the establishment of a 1st Class Waste Collection Center to support zero waste obligations. We share our zero waste efforts in our country and international fairs upon the invitations of our Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change and relevant associations, inspiring other stakeholders. Dear Participants, the successes we have shared today represent only a part of the steps we have taken for environmental protection and sustainability. In the future, we will continue to advance our zero waste efforts, aiming to protect our environment and leave a livable world for future generations.’ The environmental booth opened by Melikgazi Municipality received great interest from the attendees of ENVIRONMENTFEST.