Turkey Composts project which is implemented in collaboration with municipalities in order to collect organic waste and create compost to increase soil productivity, was completed with an international conference. Solutions for the waste problem were presented under the scope of the project which was implemented by Bugday Association for Supporting Ecological Living and its Belgian partner Association of Cities and Regions for Sustainable Resource Management (ACR +).
Experts from Europe and Turkey discussed the issue in detail. During the conference which was held in Kadir Has University, it was mentioned that although the laws and regulations are in place in Turkey, the implementation was inadequate and solution recommendations were discussed. Within the scope of the project, staff of 18 municipalities from 7 regions were trained in Europe and observed the good practices on site. Their experiences were also shared in the conference.
Roadmap for the Compost Plant Setup is Ready
The project primarily aimed to transfer data and experience to Turkey for the establishment of medium and large scale compost plants in collaboration with municipalities. By this means, the amount of humus in the soil will be increased by the compost to be produced and a solution to the garbage problem that causes serious environmental problems will be found.
The garbage questionnaire, which is the most important output of the project, captured the garbage and compost related needs and current conditions of the municipalities in Turkey. It also presented Turkey’s outlook on garbage, usage habits and the state of municipalities’ waste-related work. The facts that the needs analysis for composting in Turkey is not performed accurately; the information and data on this subject were incomplete; and the plants established were either closed or worked under the capacity, were also revealed. The reasons for these outcomes were investigated. Thus, the roadmap to follow when setting up the compost facility was developed. A compost handbook was also prepared.
For more information about the project, please visit www.turkeycomposts.org