İzmir, Türkiye
İzmir Metropolitan Municipality is committed to reducing the effects of global warming, creating a sustainable city that is resilient to climate change, and supporting the energy transition and circular economy. İzmir is one of 112 cities selected in 2022 by the European Commission to participate in the EU Mission for 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030, also known as the Cities Mission. The EU Mission Label was awarded to İzmir in 2024.
Zero waste and awareness raising
Zero waste management systems have been established and Zero Waste Certificates have been obtained under the Zero Waste Regulation in 12 of the Municipality's administrative buildings. Work is underway to obtain Zero Waste Certificates for the remaining municipal buildings.
The Municipality is committed to developing innovative projects aimed at minimising waste and raising environmental awareness from an early age, through initiatives such as European Waste Reduction Week. The Municipality organises art workshops focusing on zero waste living and recycling, where artworks are created by turning waste materials into brushes and painting with them. The virtual reality game of the Municipality to raise environmental awareness among the younger generations gives them the opportunity to develop an early understanding of the importance of waste prevention and separate collection.
Harvesting electricity from biogas
The Municipality is taking steps not only to find solutions to the waste problem, but also to produce energy by turning waste into biogas.
The Municipality is proud to report that a total of 163,005 MWh of energy was produced in 2023 at the Harmandalı Facility in Çiğli. This avoided the formation of 450,000 tonnes of CO2e. The facility has an energy generation capacity equivalent to the average monthly electricity consumption of about 190,000 households. At other two facilities, namely Bergama Integrated Solid Waste Management Facility and Ödemiş Integrated Solid Waste Management Facility, energy generation helped to prevent the emission of 138,000 tonnes of CO2e.
Towards a circular economy
The İzmir Metropolitan Municipality is proud to take on the collective challenge of the circular economy. To this end, the Municipality is committed to exploring the possibility of developing new facilities with the aim of enhancing environmental sustainability and promoting resilience in the city. These include an environmentally friendly Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) facility with a modern design to process vegetable and furniture waste and a composting facility to create economic value from vegetable waste.