The future of cities was written in İzmir A fair in harmony with nature is possible: WE-CYCLE

The recycling industry met in Fuarizmir for a livable future. Organized for the first time this year, We-Cycle Environment and Recycling Technologies Fair hosted visitors from 28 countries and 41 cities.

In WeCycle, the first fair that brings together the private sector and local governments in the field of recycling, municipalities introduced their projects and shed light on the future of cities by promoting their recycling projects.

Taking firm steps towards becoming a sustainable and environmentally friendly city, İzmir continues its efforts to leave a livable environment for future generations. WeCycle Fair, where the environmental and technology projects of İzmir and many municipalities are exhibited, went down in history as the first fair organized in the field of recycling in Türkiye with the cooperation of local governments and the private sector. Projects and technologies that will leave clean cities for future generations were exhibited at fuarizmir between 12-14 May within the scope of the fair.

We-Cycle Environment and Recycling Technologies Fair, hosted by İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and held in cooperation with İZFAŞ and EFOR Fair Organization, in order to prevent, reduce and transform waste in the city in order to leave a livable environment for future generations, hosted visitors from 28 countries and 41 provinces in three days.

“İzmir is a city that adopts recycling as a principle”

Underlining that İzmir Metropolitan Municipality carries out many studies in order to be a metropolis compatible with nature, İZFAŞ General Manager Canan Karaosmanoğlu Alıcı said, “As İZFAŞ, we brought a new fair to İzmir together with Efor Fair Organization. İzmir is a city that adopts recycling as a principle. This fair is the first company in Türkiye to bring together local governments and private companies on recycling and the environment. Together with our fair, we want the results of local government, public and private sector cooperation to come out of our fair. At the same time, we want the products and technological solutions in the field of recycling in Türkiye to be an export gateway. The success of our fairs is also measured by the cooperation and communication we provide between the sectors we deal with. Now Türkiye has become a country that produces and exports technologies. WeCycle was a fair where İzmir's efforts on recycling and waste disposal were showcased. Thanks to the private sector, our public institutions also see new technologies, and thus new collaborations are formed. Here, the most important issue is the separation of waste at the source. If we can do this, it is possible to actually use the garbage as a resource.”

“It was a start and a success beyond expectations”

Efor Fair Organization General Manager Nuray Eyigele İşleyen stated that they are proud of closing the fair with a success beyond expectations and said, “Many companies such as recycling, renewable energy, waste water, pollution control companies, which are the leading companies of the sector, took part in our fair in this project, which we carried out jointly with İZFAŞ, a company of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality. Waste management, zero waste projects, recycling technologies, environmentally friendly products and applications were exhibited at this fair. It was a start and a success beyond expectations. I congratulate each and every one who contributed to our fruitful cooperation. Our joint efforts led us to a natural business victory. This organization, which we have realized with environmental awareness and responsibility, has also been a starting point for the development of the economy. Our stakeholders in this field are very pleased that we have brought them together under one roof. The information we obtained in the company's returns was that the industry and İzmir needed such an organization and that it would create a strong ground for new collaborations. I would like to thank İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç Soyer, who supported us to bring this vision to our city.”

All about recycling

Everything about recycling and technologies was introduced at the fair, which was held with a total of 120 participants from 18 provinces from Türkiye and from Germany and Romania. The fair, which was filled with seminars, exhibitions, workshops, climate congress and recycling competition, where valuable names of the sector took place, hosted visitors from 28 countries and 41 provinces in three days. Professional visitors from abroad saw the recycling technologies of İzmir and Türkiye on site and signed commercial agreements. The products exhibited at the fair, where many projects from the local government and business world regarding waste management, recycling and technologies were introduced, also found their buyers.

What did they say?

WeCycle Fair hosted a special environment where local governments can showcase and promote their work for the cities of the future. Projects and collaborations that care about the cities of the future, and public institutions that confront the recycling industry, introduced their projects that show that change and transformation is possible during the fair. Subsidiaries of local governments made the following statements about the recycling industry and the fair:

One Person in İstanbul Produces 1.2 Kg of Waste in a Day

İSTAÇ, one of the affiliates of İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality, which is one of the biggest implementers of waste recycling and recovery and energy issues, attracted great attention at We-Cycle Fair. İSTAÇ, one of the leading organizations in environmental management, continues its efforts for the zero carbon target in 2050, as stated on the “Revised Climate Action Plan” of the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality. Introducing its work towards 2030-2050 targets within the scope of WeCycle Fair, İSTAÇ shared information about the operation process of waste management in its facilities. Eyyüp Demirhan, Deputy General Manager of İSTAÇ Field Services, said, “Currently, a person in İstanbul has approximately 1.2 kg of daily waste. This shows that approximately 19 thousand tons of waste is disposed of on a daily basis in İstanbul alone. We produce compost with some of the daily domestic waste of approximately 19 thousand tons in İstanbul. We dispose of the remaining part of the transformation and recovery processes in our landfill facilities.

İSTAÇ will meet the electricity supply of 2 million people in 2022

Emphasizing that they produce electricity from domestic wastes except for compost and landfill, Demirhan stated that every waste produced in Istanbul turns into a raw material source and said, “Organic wastes collected separately at the source are processed in our Biomethanization Facility. After biodegradation is achieved, methane gas is formed. We collect this methane gas and turn it into electricity. We also have Europe's largest and Türkiye's first and only Waste Incineration and Energy Production Facility. In our incineration facility, we dispose of 3,000 tons of domestic waste a day with thermal methods and turn them into electricity. As a result, no matter what, every waste turns into energy in some way. We are currently able to meet the electricity needs of 2 million people with the electricity we produce in our facilities. “The climate changes as fossil fuels are used. The world is sick right now… We have to be aware of that. Instead of using fossil fuels, it should be converted into renewable energy. If you consider waste as a raw material, you will not only prevent the methane formed by the waste from mixing with nature, but also use renewable energy instead of fossil fuel in energy production. We see this awareness taking place in Türkiye. I believe that this process will be carried out more meticulously in the next 5-10 years. Ministries, municipalities and citizens have responsibilities to ensure the continuation of the process. As the İSTAÇ family, we are determined to leave a livable city legacy for future generations. We work with all our strength and continue to transform for the continuation of life”

İZMAVİ will set an example for all port cities

Opened by İzmir Metropolitan Municipality; İZMAVİ, which emerged from the partnership of two private companies with İZDOĞA and İZBETON, which are subsidiary companies of the metropolitan municipality within the scope of collection and disposal of ship waste, took its place among the projects that will offer solutions to marine pollution at We-Cycle Fair. The project, which will bring a solution to port management, which is one of the biggest causes of marine pollution, will set an example for other port cities. İZMAVİ General Manager Güray Baykal shared the information about the use of the facility with the fair visitors and said:

“We experienced the partnership of local government and business world at the fair”

In the facility we will establish in the Aliağa region, we will collect the wastes created by all the ships within the borders of İzmir and bring them to our facility. We will dispose of it by dewatering there. Therefore, we will prevent the pollution created by the ships, especially in the gulf region. A modular facility that we will build. We have the capacity to transform the waste of all the ships that come. İzmir is a city in the first place in terms of port and sea logistics... Until now, the ports were establishing their own treatment facilities. But it wasn't enough because that wasn't his only job. The facility we will establish will set an example for all port cities. We are a company established with the partnership of public companies and private sector. The fair was a good place to introduce our facility, it went very well. It was a good quality fair that is way above the ones held in Türkiye. There was excitement among the participants. There are many participating municipalities. We experienced the partnership of the local government business world at the fair. It is possible to build the cities of the future with these partnerships”.

300 million TL energy savings from İZETAŞ

Another environmentally friendly project introduced within the scope of the fair was İZETAŞ, the electricity supply company opened last January within the scope of İZENERJİ, one of the affiliate companies of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality. Ercan Türkoğlu, Chairman of the Board of İZETAŞ İzmir Electricity Supply Joint Stock Company, which was established to save electricity costs due to increasing price hikes and the economic crisis, said:

İzmir is very lucky in terms of recycling and environment, because with the vision of the president, the carbon neutral green city infrastructure was already ready as a concept. It is known that İzmir is more pioneering, more aggressive and more ready than the general of Türkiye in this regard. We have provided energy control to all the institutions and affiliate companies of the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality within a month, with a success beyond what we have foreseen. We have started a study to save money in our institution. This business is a very serious source of finance... We have reached a monthly turnover of 100 million TL. We subtracted the commercial profit from the expense. At the beginning of the year, our vision for this business was to solve our annual energy need of 1 billion 350 million liras for 1 billion 50 million liras. Thus, we will save 300 million dollars. Beyond saving, I think we have added a much more valuable value. In our sustainable energy and climate action plan, which summarizes the vision of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç Soyer, the goal of transforming all the electricity of the municipality into useful sources has been revealed. We implemented it. The fair was a great fair about the resistance of a city, which came to the agenda of all governments as a concept. However, I can clearly state that in two years, people will be lining up to register for this fair”.

İzDoğa continues to work to expand İzmir's circular economy

İzDoğa A.Ş. General Manager Ahmet Ersagun Yücel:

“The way to leave a livable world to future generations is to protect our nature, to use the resources we think unlimited in a balanced way and to recycle our wastes...İzDoğa is working to leave a livable world to future generations, based on the vision of our İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Tunç Soyer to create a resilient city. Within the scope of our İzDönüşüm project, we aim to collect waste first from the pilot areas we have determined and then from the whole of İzmir. After collection at the source, we will sort the wastes at our facility and send them to recycling facilities. Our employees who will work in this process will be our street collectors. Thus, we will improve the working conditions of our street collector friends whom we employ. With our İzDönüşüm project, in which we aim to increase the rate of recycling waste, we will have achieved 4 goals at the same time; protecting the nature, making profit for our municipality, creating employment and saving energy… İzDoğa continues to work to grow the circular economy of İzmir”