Mersin Metropolitan Municipality Works for 'Plastic-Free Mersin Beach'

Mersin Metropolitan Municipality has applied to the "Unite for Plastic-Free Shores!" project program, which is part of the REMEDIES consortium program within the scope of the European Union HORIZON Innovation Program and EU Mission "Repair Our Oceans and Waters". The Metropolitan Municipality's project titled 'Unite for Plastic-Free Mersin Coasts' was evaluated as the most successful project. Within the scope of the project, 6 drinking water fountains and 6 plastic collection containers will be placed in the pilot area determined along the Adnan Menderes coastline, aiming to prevent waste formation by reducing the plastic use of citizens. Thus, Mersin beaches will be protected from land-based plastic waste.

The project titled "Uniting for Plastic-Free Mersin Shores!" became the most successful project

Within the scope of this project, a plastic bottle cap collection campaign was initiated in the Metropolitan Municipality units and a PET bottle collection campaign at the Mercan 100th Year Climate and Environment Science Center. As a second step in the project, 6 drinking water fountains and 6 plastic collection containers will be placed in the pilot areas determined along the Adnan Menderes coastline, aiming to prevent waste formation by reducing plastic use by citizens.

The Metropolitan Municipality increases citizen awareness with environmental projects it implements

Within the scope of the project, a 'Smart Waste Machine' will be installed at the Mercan 100th Year Climate and Environment Science Center, ensuring that waste generated after citizens' use is included in the recycling process. Small plant pots will be produced from the collected plastic waste, and the produced pots will be reused in plant planting. Citizens who are included in the recycling system will also be given compost products produced from organic waste by the Metropolitan Municipality. In order to increase citizen awareness, educational activities on waste separation, recycling, recovery and zero waste will be carried out for 1,200 citizens aged 6-18 at the 100th Year Mercan Climate and Environment Science Center. Within the scope of the coastal and river strip cleaning event, a total of 6 cleaning events will be carried out, providing on-site awareness to 150 citizens about plastic pollution and its harm to nature. Within the scope of the project, coastal cleaning will be carried out in 4 different coastal areas in the city. In addition, cleaning activities will be carried out in Çiniligöl and Göksu Delta, which are important natural areas for the region.

Işık: "Our application was chosen as the most successful application by the REMEDIES Program"

Environmental Engineer Yakup Berkay Işık, who works at the Climate Change and Zero Waste Department, gave information about the project and said, "As a department, we had made an application with our project named 'Unite for Plastic-Free Mersin Coasts' to the 'Repair Our Oceans and Borders Project' of the REMEDIES Foundation within the scope of the European Union HORIZON Innovation Program. Our application was accepted as the most successful application by the REMEDIES Program. Its Turkish name is; 'Unite for Plastic-Free Mersin Shores!'"

The recycling projects carried out by the Metropolitan Municipality in its units are also spreading throughout the city. Işık, who added to his words that they will spread recycling throughout the city with the collection points they will create within the scope of the grant project they won, said, "We will place 6 plastic collection cages in the Adnan Menderes coastal part. We will also put 6 water fountains. Here, we will actually protect nature by preventing citizens from buying plastic water bottles. They will be able to fill their water with their own thermoses and flasks and pollute the environment less."

Stating that they are also carrying out a blue cap collection campaign in the Metropolitan Municipality units, Işık said, "We also collect plastics separately in a cage representing Caretta in our Mercan 100th Year Climate and Environment Science Center. We aim to obtain and produce pots by recycling all these plastics we collect. We will use the pots we produce in plant planting and plant use again, and we will ensure recycling. Within the scope of the project, we will place 1 smart waste collection automation in our science center. We will give compost produced by our municipality as a gift to our citizens and students who come here in return for throwing the recyclable waste they bring here. We aim to encourage recycling."

"We want to leave a beautiful environment to future generations by protecting our environment and nature"

Işık, who mentioned that they aim to create a zero waste, waste management and environmental protection culture in the Mercan 100th Year Climate and Environment Science Center from an early age, said, "In this context, we have carried out approximately 11 education and awareness activities in the last 1 year within our department. Within the scope of our project, we will also organize 6 plastic collection events on the coast. 4 of them will be on our beaches on the Mersin coast. We will also be involved in 2 more coastal cleaning and plastic collection activities in rivers and lakes in our region. I hope we continue to expand recycling and leave a beautiful environment to future generations by protecting our environment and nature."

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