The first year results of GCA’s ‘EKOMAT’ recycling project in Türkiye have been released.

In a briefing made at the Yalova Ecofest in Türkiye, it was stated that in one year with the EKOMAT Project, 1.6 million units of packaging waste were collected by 11,000 users.

This has provided TRY 1.3 million of support to the national economy.*

The project was implemented for the first time in Türkiye with the co-operation of the BİRCAM Foundation, GCA and Park Cam.

As part of the project, GCA placed 34 EKOMAT deposit machines at 15 different locations in Yalova to achieve 100% recycling of glass, plastic, and metal beverage packaging.

The project enables citizens to earn points worth money through a mobile application by recycling glass, metal, and plastic, contributing to the economy while also supporting the reduction of the carbon footprint.

GCA General Manager Dr Abdullah Gayret said: “With our EKOMAT Project aimed at raising consumer awareness to recycle packaging materials, we have created an exemplary model.

“With the ability to instantly monitor data thanks to its local software, our project can be considered as ‘the digital transformation of recycling’. Our goal is to introduce the culture of packaging recycling to our country through this two-year project."

With the project, Park Cam has also been able to increase the amount of cullet used in its factories.

Park Cam Deputy General Manager Ergin Öz said: “Cullet is the one of the main sources of glass packaging factories. The more cullet fed into glass furnaces, the less natural resources are used, the longer the furnace life, the lower the energy cost and the lower the carbon footprint, the more responsibilities towards the environment are fulfilled.

“While glass packaging manufacturers in Europe use cullet at a rate of 60%-70%, cullet usage rate in our country cannot reach even 10%. With the EKOMAT Project, cullet coming to our factories reaches a quality level equal to that of European manufacturers. It is significant development for the future.”

*Along with the recycling operations, approximately TRY 1.3 Million was contributed to the national economy by:

  • Reducing natural resource consumption by 128 tons.
  • Achieving oil savings equivalent to one day fuel consumption of 16,675 vehicles.
  • Decreasing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 180 trees cleaning air for one year.
  • Saving electrical energy equivalent to one month's energy consumption of 720 households.
  • Lowering the amount of waste by 45 garbage trucks.

The project transforms glass waste back into glass bottles, while plastic waste will be used in the production of textile products, and metal waste will be utilised in the manufacturing of personal care items such as toothpaste tubes.