An event entitled “March 30 Day of Zero Waste” was held at Sabancı Cultural Complex by the Environmental Problems and Clean Production Research and Application Center (ERCEVREM) and Environment and Zero Waste Club.
The event started with a short film called “I am Anatolia”.
Pointing out that resources in the world were not unlimited, our Rector Prof. Dr. Fatih Altun stated that it was essential to use these resources economically and not to waste them. He said: “It is crucial to raise awareness about zero waste in children through these programs because it is important for our children to grow up with this awareness so that we can alleviate the conditions that they will be exposed to in the future.”
He thanked those who contributed to the organization of the event and continued as follows: “Effective projects conducted by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change on this subject draw attention to this field. In the UI Greenmetric rankings, our university achieved to be ranked 85th in the world and 3rd in our country. I think being sustainable, being green, and recycling wastes are vital details. I am in favor of increasing the number of remarkable programs in this process.”
The program continued with the screening of a short film about plastic wastes.
Sibel Livdumlu, Provincial Director of Environment and Urbanization, underscored that this significant day initiated in 2017 by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization under the auspices of Emine Erdoğan contributed considerably to the nature and economy of our country. Furthermore, she stated that zero waste is described as waste management philosophy that includes preventing waste, using resources more efficiently, preventing or reducing waste generation considering its causes, collecting wastes separately at the source and recycling.
ERCEVREM Director Assoc. Prof. Hamdi Mıhçıokur thanked the guests for participating in the event and said that Erciyes University started the journey of zero waste with Prof. Dr. Oktay Özkan in 2018, and that they conducted significant studies in this field.
Stating that they are reaping the fruits of these studies now, Hamdi Mıhçıokur said: “We are constantly improving ourselves on this path. Zero waste philosophy is crucial in using resources effectively and preventing waste. One of the biggest factors in celebrating the 2nd International Day of Zero Waste this year is as a result of our country’s intense activities conducted with the United Nations. Our country contributed significantly to the declaration of March 30 Zero Waste Day. In this context, it is a very valuable day for us.”
After speeches, Asst. Prof. Mustafa Ülker from the Faculty of Tourism made a presentation on “Zero Waste in the Kitchen”. Asst. Prof. Selman Sevindik from the Faculty of Architecture talked about the “Circular Economy in Architecture”. Lect. Berna Akın from ERCEVREM gave a presentation on the “Zero Waste Journey of our University”.
The participants appreciated the fashion show performed using waste materials by the students of Kadriye San Daycare Center.
The event ended after our Rector Prof. Dr. Fatih Altun, Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Oktay Özkan, and the guests visited the exhibition on recycling of wastes.
