The "Zero Waste Project" has Started to be İmplemented at the AK Party Headquarters.

06 Jan 2018

Çiğdem Karaaslan, Deputy Chairperson of the AK Party responsible for Environment, Urbanism, and Culture, stated that with the implementation of the Zero Waste Project, the AK Party Headquarters will now be "Turkey's first and only environmentally friendly political headquarters."

Under the patronage of Emine Erdoğan, the wife of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the "Zero Waste Project" initiated by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change has begun to be implemented at the AK Party Headquarters. In this context, training on the Zero Waste Project was provided to the headquarters staff by the AK Party's Environmental, Urban and Cultural Affairs Presidency. 

In her speech at the opening of the training program, Karaaslan stated that the Zero Waste Project represents a turning point for Turkey. She noted that the AK Party is realizing very important projects, goals, and dreams, and emphasized that the party's election manifesto strongly supports the protection and preservation of the environment in Turkey. Karaaslan pointed out that the AK Party Headquarters is the only "child-friendly" and the first "accessible" political headquarters in Turkey, and she continued:

"What we foresee in politics, what we chart as a roadmap, and what we make a narrative in society, we first implement in our own home, at our headquarters. With today’s initiative, the AK Party Headquarters will now be Turkey's first and only environmentally friendly political headquarters. We have been environmentalists for a long time. Our religion, our civilization, and all our heritage compel us to be environmentally conscious."

Implementation in 81 provinces and district organizations

Karaaslan remarked that there has been significant growth in environmental issues over the past 16 years through treatment, waste, and disposal facilities, as well as an increase in natural assets. She shared that the number of wastewater treatment facilities rose from 145 in 2002 to 967, the number of packaging waste separation and collection facilities increased from 28 to 1,336, and the number of hazardous waste recovery facilities grew from 18 to 468.

She indicated that the project would soon move to its second phase, which includes implementation in all 81 provinces and district organizations, stating, "Reducing, recycling, and reusing will become indispensable aspects of our lives." Karaaslan emphasized that the AK Party is a party that does what has not been done in Turkey regarding environmental issues, sets its own standards, and strives to surpass them. She noted that the position of Deputy Chairperson of the AK Party responsible for Environment, Urbanization, and Culture is also a first in Turkey. Karaaslan invited everyone to become "Zero Waste Environmental Volunteers."

A presentation regarding the project was conducted by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change, where staff were shown how to separate glass and paper. Additionally, they were presented with a frame made from yogurt containers, flooring made from recycled car tires, and fabrics and fibers obtained from recycled plastic bottles.

AK Party's carbon footprint to be measured

At the end of the training, Karaaslan provided journalists with information about other projects related to the environment and made the following evaluations: "As the AK Party, we are measuring our carbon footprint. The carbon footprint measures the environmental impact of every individual, institution, and organization based on their energy consumption and other related practices. Therefore, we will analyze the impact of our vehicle use, electricity consumption, and habits that we have not yet implemented in our daily lives at the AK Party Headquarters in terms of carbon footprint, using our 2017 report as a baseline to set a target for the end of 2018."

Karaaslan expressed the intention for the project to be sustainable, stating that they aim to evaluate their progress after a few months and eventually receive Turkey's first "climate-friendly organization" certificate. She emphasized the importance of this goal, stating, "We want to spread this to all our organizations, across all 81 provinces and all districts in Turkey, occasionally selecting the most environmentally friendly organization, and fostering a sense of ownership of this issue among our personnel. Our most important guide in this is our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan."

Karaaslan pointed out that the garbage mountains and sewage flowing into the streets that were common in Turkey 15-16 years ago are no longer visible, asserting that the steps taken toward zero waste represent a significant move in the fight against climate change, one of the greatest threats facing the world today. She emphasized the need for a rapid increase in awareness of recycling and waste management in society, the necessary regulations to support this, and teaching it to children of all ages to make it an integral part of life.