Fatih Bekmez, a 38-year-old women's hairdresser from central Kayseri province, offers free haircuts and hair care in return for those who bring in at least 35 plastic bottles.
Bekmez, a nature enthusiast who has been working as a hairdresser for 15 years in Kayseri's Kocasinan district, launched the campaign "Nature is with you, you are beautiful with us" after the recent outbreak of forest fires in the Aegean and Mediterranean region and news that plastic bottles are being thrown into the environment at an alarming rate. Bekmez, who initiated the project with the support of the Chamber of Hairdressers, offers haircuts, hair and eyebrow care free of charge in return for plastic bottles. Bekmez takes the plastic bottles to the local recycling center and plant saplings with the money he gets on the skirts of Mount Erciyes.
He also stated that many forest fires occurred during the summer period. "Not only were our forests burning, but our lungs. Unfortunately, in our country lots of plastic bottles are also thrown into the streets. I developed this project after I started with the idea of what I could do as a hairdresser," Bekmez continued. "After the project, which I started with the support of the Chamber of Hairdressers two weeks ago, I hanged information notes at several points in my neighborhood. Within the scope of the project, I offer haircuts, hair care, and eyebrow plucking for women who come to my workplace with plastic bottles free of charge. I will take the plastic bottles I have collected to the recycling center and buy saplings with the money I get in return and establish a memorial forest on behalf of my customers."