Under the patronage of Mrs Emine Erdoğan, wife of our President Mr Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and spearheaded by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, our university is setting an example with its environmentally conscious practices, taking significant steps within the scope of the “Zero Waste” Project, which has evolved into a global environmental movement. Drawing attention with its efforts aimed at preventing, reducing, and recycling waste, the University has crowned its success in this field with the Zero Waste Certificate.

 

Within the scope of the effective waste management system developed by our university, hazardous and non-hazardous waste generated from education, training, research, production, and service activities at the Gelişim Campus, the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, and the Vocational School of Technical Sciences is collected separately at the source. This waste is temporarily stored under appropriate conditions and sent for disposal through licensed companies.

 

Great importance is also attached to educational activities with the aim of establishing and spreading Zero Waste awareness. In this regard, the Zero Waste Commission established within the university meets regularly to develop strategies focused on education, awareness, and practice. In line with the decisions taken, various initiatives are carried out to raise awareness of zero waste among both staff and students.

 

Training courses provided to university staff in previous years, both face-to-face and online, are planned to be repeated in 2025. To enhance student awareness, various informational materials have been placed in visible areas throughout the campus, while efforts to develop interactive educational content are also ongoing.

 

Konya Technical University, which places great importance on the separate collection of recyclable waste from other types of waste, has installed more than 250 waste collection bins at suitable locations across the campus. In addition, special collection bins for waste batteries are available in areas frequently used by students and staff. A large portion of the collected waste is delivered to licensed companies for recycling. The University regularly records these processes through the Integrated Environmental Information System affiliated with the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change.

 

Moreover, research and projects aimed at recycling organic waste generated from dining halls are ongoing. Hazardous waste is carefully collected and stored in accordance with relevant regulations and processed at facilities with environmental permits. At the end of the year, all these data are entered into the Waste Declaration System and reported to the Ministry.

 

Electrical and electronic waste, scrap metal and wood waste are also collected separately and sent to licensed recycling facilities. As a result of all these activities, 107 tons of wastepaper, 23 tons of waste glass, 14 tons of waste plastic and 8 tons of waste glass have been recycled over the last five years. Through these practices, Konya Technical University has earned the Zero Waste Certificate awarded by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change for its contribution to environmental protection.

 

By earning the Zero Waste Certificate and once again demonstrating its commitment to environmental sustainability, our university continues its efforts with the goal of leaving a cleaner, more liveable, and environmentally friendly world for future generations. The university continues to inspire both the academic community and society with its exemplary practices in this area.

 

 

Konya Technical University KTUN