PAGÇEV Contributes TRY 610 Million to the Economy by Recycling 220,000 Tons of Waste

PAGÇEV, which conducts recycling operations across Turkey at an accelerated pace, exceeded its annual targets. In 2017, PAGÇEV recovered 220,000 tons of packaging waste from approximately 12 million people across the country. This contributed TRY 610 million to the economy. PAGÇEV, which increases both packaging waste collection and recycling activities year on year, set its 2018 target at recovering 240,000 tons of packaging waste. Turkey's authorized body for packaging waste, PAGÇEV (PAGEV Geri Dönüşüm İşletmesi), is making rapid progress in its work on reducing, reusing and recycling packaging waste within the framework of waste management. In 2017, PAGÇEV recycled 220,000 tons of packaging waste, a 22.2 percent increase compared to the previous year, and contributed TRY 610 million to the national economy. During this period, as a result of cooperation with 16 provinces and 60 municipalities, it recycled waste from approximately 12 million people. Completing the recycling chain for packaging waste consisting of plastic alongside paper, cardboard, wood, composite, glass and metals, PAGÇEV's collected waste in 2017 was led by plastic products, which reached 89,600 tons. Paper and cardboard products came in second place. The remaining portion consisted of glass, metal, composite and wood. PAGÇEV set its 2018 target at recycling 240,000 tons of packaging waste. Through the packaging waste it recycled, PAGÇEV increased its contribution to both the economy and the environment. For example, in 2017, thanks to the amount of waste PAGÇEV processed, 1.5 million trees were saved. With recycled plastic waste, 7.1 million kilowatt hours of electricity, 2.1 million liters of water and 256 million liters of fossil fuel were saved. By recycling all this waste and preventing it from being sent to landfills, a saving of 2.3 million cubic meters of space was achieved.

We Achieved 1.3 Million Kilowatt Hours of Electricity Savings with 89,000 Tons of Plastic Waste

PAGÇEV General Manager Yağmur Cengiz, evaluating the 2017 figures, stated: "Completing the year above our targets is highly satisfying. By recycling many products from packaging to paper, from metals to composite products, we continued to protect the environment on one hand, while on the other we increased our contribution to the economy. In fact, with a total of 220,000 tons of waste, we contributed TRY 610 million to the economy. Among these waste materials, plastics, which have the property of being recyclable unlimited times, came first with 89,000 tons. If PAGÇEV did not exist, 1.3 million kilowatt hours of electrical energy would be consumed to reproduce this amount of plastic. At the end of this production, 531,000 tons of carbon dioxide would be released. Based on just this amount alone, we can understand what value recycling creates for a sustainable environment and economy. Of course, we do not provide this contribution simply by collecting waste. We implement projects to raise this awareness. We provide education to children, housewives and even educators on the conscious use and recycling of packaging waste. We will continue to increase all these activities in the coming year."