Electronic waste

In pursuit of exposing the stark reality of food waste, popular food writer and chef Refika Birgül took to the garbage dumps of her very own neighborhood of Kuzguncuk in Istanbul.

Delving into the waste, she saw a distressing sight: An array of food, from arugula to quince, still in edible condition cast aside.

In anticipation of the forthcoming adoption of regulations on packaging and packaging waste, the Association Polymers is spearheading a critical discussion on the pivotal role of recycling.

Search teams have reached the pickup truck used by the miners trapped beneath the soil before the landslide hit the mining site in the eastern province of Erzincan, forming the first trace found over a month after the incident.

Within the scope of the Zero Waste Project aiming at reducing Türkiye's waste burden, 105 tons of paper and cardboard were recycled in the parliament in 2023, officals have informed. 

The project, which is carried out under the auspices of first lady Emine Erdoğan has been meticulously implemented by the parliament since 2018.

A staggering amount of over 100,000 tonnes of textiles is discarded annually in Bulgaria, a study reveals, spotlighting the nation's looming textile waste crisis. Startling statistics indicate that merely 2% of this colossal amount undergoes recycling, while an estimated 50% to 70% remains suitable for continued use, according to the Association for Textile Recycling.

Türkiye squanders a staggering 2.2 trillion Turkish liras ($75.5 billion) annually, constituting 15 percent of its national income, according to a report from the Türkiye Waste Prevention Foundation.

The report suggests that this amount could solve the country's housing crisis by constructing 1.3 million homes valued at 1.7 million liras each.

Bulgaria's government has ushered in a significant change by adopting amendments to regulations, enforcing the EU's long-awaited directive for a standardized charger across various electronic devices. The mandate spans mobile phones, tablets, laptops, cameras, and more, aiming to streamline charging via USB-C ports.

In a significant move, the European Commission (EC) has announced actions against Bulgaria for failure to comply with several crucial EU directives. The EC referred Bulgaria to the Court of Justice of the European Union for not enacting measures in line with the Victims' Rights' Directive.

The total waste generated in Türkiye, encompassing households, factories and workplaces, exceeded 109 million tons in 2022, marking an increase compared to previous years, a report by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) has revealed.

The U.N. Zero Waste Advisory Board, chaired by Turkish first lady Emine Erdoğan, has convened in their first official face-to-face meeting in Istanbul, following their initial online meeting held in July.