Türkiye's Deposit Return System (DOA) has collected 7.6 million deposit-bearing beverage containers within its first five days of operation, Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum said on Sunday.

In a post on social media, Kurum said the system is rapidly gaining public acceptance and contributing to both environmental protection and the national economy.

"The Deposit Return System is now our new habit. This transformation is gaining momentum every day. On the fifth day, the number of containers collected through the system reached 7.6 million," he said.

Kurum added that returning containers instead of discarding them helps protect the environment while also benefiting consumers and supporting the country's economy.

According to an infographic shared by the minister, the system has attracted 1,385,673 users, while the total number of returned deposit-bearing beverage containers has reached 7.6 million.

Launched nationwide on July 1 under Türkiye's Zero Waste initiative, the Deposit Return System allows consumers to return eligible plastic, glass and aluminum beverage containers through designated collection points and reverse vending machines in exchange for a refundable TL 1 deposit. The initiative aims to increase recycling, reduce waste, and promote the circular use of resources across the country.

The program gained early momentum on its first day, attracting 649,244 users who returned more than 1.5 million deposit-bearing beverage containers.

The initiative aims to increase recycling, reduce waste and return valuable raw materials to the production cycle as part of Türkiye's circular economy efforts. Officials estimate the system could contribute around TL 30 billion ($645 million) annually to the economy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption.