Gaziosmanpaşa Municipality’s Environmental Initiative: 61,200 Trees Saved, 40 Billion Liters of Water Conserved
Istanbul, Turkey, June 2, 2026 – The Gaziosmanpaşa Municipality launched its June 1-7 Turkey Environmental Week events with an environmental walk attended by environmental ambassadors, students, teachers, citizens, and protocol members. The program continued with activities held in the municipality garden.
During the event, recycling projects prepared by students were exhibited, and the “Art from Waste Exhibition” was presented to visitors. Awards were given to environmental ambassadors, and discussions were held on the importance of zero waste and promoting environmental awareness.
Zero Waste Movement: A Comprehensive Environmental Mobilization
Speaking at the opening of the program, Gaziosmanpaşa Deputy Mayor Eray Karadeniz stated, “Today, we are together as part of the Zero Waste Movement, carried out under the patronage of Emine Erdoğan. The Zero Waste Movement is a very valuable environmental mobilization launched not only to collect waste but also to protect resources, raise environmental awareness, and leave a more livable world for future generations.”
Karadeniz emphasized the municipality’s leading role in zero waste practices. “As Gaziosmanpaşa Municipality, we are among the leading districts not only in talking about zero waste but also in implementing it. Our 8 vehicles in the district work solely on zero waste. We collect many types of waste, from packaging waste to textile waste, electronic waste to waste batteries, end-of-life tires to waste oils, separately at the source and bring them back into the economy. In this regard, I would like to state that we are one of the rare municipalities that separate zero waste at the source.”
He also highlighted citizen participation: “We place our citizens at the center of this process, and as a result of years of continuous work, the valuable people of Gaziosmanpaşa are very sensitive about this issue. If our citizens did not support us, we, as the municipality, could not have done this job so successfully. Thanks to our Zero Waste Mobile Application, our citizens report their waste to us, and our teams go to the reported address and collect the waste. Moreover, citizens who contribute to recycling earn points and can access various gifts with these points. In other words, we have designed and implemented a system that collectively promotes environmental protection.”
Significant Achievements in Waste Management and Conservation
Karadeniz detailed the municipality’s environmental efforts, stating, “Today, in Gaziosmanpaşa, we have a system that converts approximately 60 percent of our household waste into energy and brings it back into the economy. We also produce energy from wood and tree branch waste resulting from pruning. To date, Gaziosmanpaşa Municipality has recycled 3,356 tons of packaging waste, 367 tons of textile waste, 40 tons of waste oil, 4,780 kilograms of electronic waste, 1,675 kilograms of waste batteries, 9,791 tons of industrial waste, and 4,036 tons of wood and bulky waste.”
These efforts have led to remarkable environmental benefits: “Through these efforts, we have not only collected waste; we have prevented the cutting of 61,200 adult trees in Gaziosmanpaşa, achieved approximately 94 million liters of water savings, and saved approximately 13 million kilowatts of energy. In short, we have collectively saved a forest of 50 hectares, roughly the size of 70 football fields.”
Karadeniz also underscored the importance of recycling: “Thanks to the recycling of electronic waste, we have brought valuable materials like gold and copper back into the economy. Through waste batteries, we have prevented heavy metals from mixing with soil and water. By recovering industrial and wood waste, we have protected our natural resources and reduced raw material consumption. The results we have achieved regarding waste oils are extremely important, as we know that 1 liter of waste oil can contaminate approximately 1 million liters of water. In this context, by collecting 40 tons of waste oil in Gaziosmanpaşa this year, we have collectively prevented the contamination of approximately 40 billion liters of water. Looking at the numbers, we see that we are not just collecting waste. With this data, we have protected our water, our soil, and most importantly, the future of our children.”
Support from Provincial Authorities and Community Engagement
Ejder Batur, Provincial Director of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change, who also attended the program, emphasized the great importance of transferring environmental awareness, especially to younger generations. He noted that Gaziosmanpaşa stands out positively among Istanbul’s districts with its zero waste and environmental efforts.
Istanbul Deputy Governor Mustafa Asım Alkan stressed the importance of efficient use of existing resources and widespread recycling. Gaziosmanpaşa District Governor İskender Yönden stated that the environmental efforts aim to leave a more livable world for future generations.
Individual Contributions and Future Plans
According to data from the first 5 months, an average of 20 tons of waste per month, or approximately 240 tons annually, was collected from households in Hürriyet Neighborhood and recycled. Environmental volunteer Filiz Baskın Aksu reportedly recycled approximately 6 tons of waste, preventing the cutting of 102 adult trees.
During the program, environmental ambassadors received their awards, and the recycling projects prepared by students and the “Art from Waste Exhibition” garnered significant interest from participants. Environmental activities are expected to continue throughout Environmental Week with various events.
