Let’s See

Turkey imported a total of 685 thousand tons of plastic waste in 2021 and is one of the most important players in the waste import market. You may have thought that the phrase import plastic waste was misspelled or misread. If you think that plastic waste is a material that needs to be incinerated or somehow disposed of, we can guarantee that you will change your mind after reading this article!

Recycling is not a concept that has just entered our lives. It is a known fact that materials have been reused by melting or adding to different materials since ancient times. The reality behind recycling is always the same: The resources in our world are limited and there is a limit to what we can achieve. And no matter what period we are in, the necessity of responding to this demand has arisen. As a matter of fact, it is not a coincidence that recycling activities increased to a great extent and new technologies were developed during the Second World War, when limited resources were already limited.

Improved living conditions as of the 21st century and many pleasing developments for humanity have led to an increase in birth rates and a prolongation of the average life expectancy. The accompanying negativity is the rapid increase in the consumption of the limited resources of our world. At this point, the best solution we come across is recycling the wastes.

The use of recycled products has become widespread nowadays. From clothing to ready-made consumption, many companies now pay great attention to using recycled and reusable products; they are amending their regulations so that some use of recycled materials in their products is mandatory. This sensitivity is certainly pleasing; The growing interest in recycling is a huge step forward in the balanced use of our resources. But did you know where the materials required for recycling are obtained and how the process works?

Waste collection points, recyclable waste collected by workers on a micro scale, or selected wastes collected from abroad and domestically through large-scale tenders are collected in recycling facilities licensed by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization and whose work is under supervision. After these products are separated, they go through different stages and are made reusable. In the next process, it can be converted into the desired material and this cycle (in some raw materials such as plastic) can continue indefinitely. Materials seen as waste contribute significantly to closing Turkey's current account deficit, limit plastic raw material imports and prevent unnecessary resource consumption. In the light of this information, what do you think is the answer to the question of whether recyclable materials are waste or raw materials?