Secret Heroes Of Recyclıng
The recycling sector can exist with healthy collection of waste. All rings of the transmission chain must work correctly until they are separated at source and reached the facilities. Turkey in this regard occurred in this context of a system for industrial plants has long been seeking. Nevertheless, the level of recycling of total waste still in the 10s percent in Turkey. The most sensitive ones among the developed countries in this regard, 40 percent of the new levels were above which means it’s not easy.
So Who are This Secret Heroes?
Street waste collectors and scrap dealers are one of problematic areas of waste management. The number is estimated at 500 thousand people. A significant portion of the waste was separated into still recycling is mostly collected by those that work irregular migrants seeking refuge in Turkey, under temporary protection ones and people which entered illegally to Turkey.
In fact, those people we see on the street every day make the biggest contribution to recycling from those garbage while they make their living. Also even so they deserve some support even by the state. Incentive, insurance, health and equipment support.
For a systematic waste collection, it is recommended that the street waste collector be disciplined. On the other hand, it is focused on creating jobs for people with low income. Street gathering is a long-standing phenomenon. One of the most disadvantaged groups and the lowest level of income. The number of people living on scrap and street gathering is estimated at 500,000 by various associations where street waste collectors are organized.Also the street waste collectors have no record.
Therefore, without any market mechanism, they sell what they collect at the prices imposed by the intermediaries. Street waste collectors have been organized under various associations and Turkey’s largest trade union confederation Turk-Is, giving institutional support to these associations as a requirement of social responsibility. At the meeting, which was attended by Türk-İş’s initiatives and a part of the industry and sector components within TOBB, the idea of professional recognition and retention of street gathering within a system was considered positively.
Made a fish statue with collected 2000 plastic waste from the beach
We have mentioned a similar event in our previous issues and it is proud to have an artist who makes such a craft from our country.
The mosaic master Mervan Altınorak in Reyhanlı district of Hatay has transformed the 2 thousand plastic waste collected from the coast of Samandağ into a fish sculpture to draw attention to the environment and sea pollution. Samandağ coastal waves of plastic waste dragged to the shore for two months collecting Altınorak, working in the workshop brought the pieces together.
Altınorak, 3 meters wide and 2 meters long from the waste made fish sculpture. Mervan Altınorak, said in a statement, he wished for future generations to live in a more livable world. Plastic waste is a major harm to the environment indicating that Altınorak, said that he wants to support “Zero Waste Blue Project” initiated by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan`s wife Emine Erdogan
Altınorak emphasizes that fishes are the most affected by plastics in the seas; “I have been continuing my work for two months. On the shore of Samandağ, I gathered the plastic wastes dragged by the waves to the shore and the old plastic toys I collected from the environment in my workshop and made a fish sculpture.”.
Altınorak stressed that he wants to give a message about environmental awareness with his fish sculpture.
