Activities carried out by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization on waste treatment has contributed about TL 3.5 billion ($1 billion) to the economy, while 60,000 people have been employed at recycling facilities
Through the steps taken on waste treatment, the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization has been able to prevent waste burials and has managed to utilize them, therefore bringing them into the economy and contributing to employment.
According to the information compiled from the General Directorate of Environmental Management, only TL 60 million was contributed to the economy in 2003 only in the field of waste treatment.
However, in recent years, 60,000 jobs have been generated through regulations issued, investments made and recycling services provided in modern facilities established by the ministry for the conservation of natural resources and sustainable waste treatment.
In 2016, the contribution provided to the economy within the scope of waste management activities stood at approximately TL 3.5 billion. In 2019, the ministry is targeting to employ 70,000 people in the field of waste recycling and contribute TL 5 billion to the economy, while plans are also underway to increase these figures in 2023.
In this context, the ministry aims to prevent the formation of waste by means of innovative technologies and initiatives, make 100,000 jobs by increasing the waste recycling at a higher rate and contribute about TL 10 billion to the economy on an annual basis.
Through the utilization of wastes as "alternative raw materials" by the ministry, the use of natural resources has been reduced, and the concept of cyclical economy has been made sustainable by demonstrating a zero-waste approach.
In this regard, the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization granted the "alternative raw material usage permit" to industrialists for 70 plants in order to use the waste extracted from different sectors as alternative raw materials through "waste recycling." Within the legislative framework, five different types of waste belonging to 12 facilities have been approved for use as "by-products."
In 2016, the waste usage amounted to about 1.9 million tons, while 655,000 tons of this waste was considered as "additional fuels" and about 1.2 million tons as "alternative raw materials."