The Zero Waste Unit of the Middle East Technical University has managed to collect 78,250 kilograms of waste as a result of their waste collection efforts in the first six months of 2021. Previously, Zero Waste Management System was established at METU in July 2020, and waste collection boxes were placed throughout the campus in addition to the recycling booths. Thus, 77,870 kilograms of waste was collected from July 2020 until the end of the year. When the waste collected in the first six months of 2021 is added to this, the total amount of waste collected thanks to METU’s Zero Waste Management System has so far reached 158,960 kilograms.
While 44 tons of plastic, 18 tons of glass, 14 tons of metal, 1 ton of vegetable oil, and 1 ton of motor oil have been collected to this date, paper has been the most collected waste material within the system with a total of 61 tons. Thanks to the efforts made in order to collect all this waste, cutting down of more than a thousand trees as well as consumption of 100 thousand liters of oil and 39 tons of raw materials have been prevented. This has resulted in 14,475.65 kilograms of less greenhouse gas emission, in addition to saving of 1,701.89 m3 of water and 516,037.40 kWh of energy.
On September 17, 2020, METU was entitled to obtain the Zero Waste Certificate. With the Zero Waste Management System, METU aims at reaching the highest levels of benefit at the lowest cost possible in all the steps of the process such as preventing waste production at the university, reducing the amount of produced waste, keeping it by itself at source and storing temporarily, then collecting, transporting and finally processing the waste.
You can see detailed information regarding the Zero Waste Unit and their works via the link: http://imidb.metu.edu.tr/sifir-atik-birimi [in Turkish].
