The Municipality of Izmit has been highlighted for its contributions to e-waste management. The Turkish Lightning Equipment Manufacturers Association Commercial Enterprise (AGID) aiming to recognize “Municipalities Making a Difference in Electrical and Electronic Waste Management” awarded Izmit in the category “Small Household Appliances”. In 2021 the city recycled 4127 kg of waste in this category.

In addition, last year Izmit recycled 892 kilograms of refrigerators, 790 kilograms of large household appliances, 3106 kilograms of televisions and monitors, 9578 kilograms of communication tools, and a total of 18 thousand 493 kilograms of e-waste. This work, carried out by the Izmit Municipality Environmental Protection and Control Directorate, signifies a 50 percent increase in electronic waste collected compared to last year, in part thanks to increased citizen awareness on this issue.

It’s also worth noting that Izmit has used some of the collected e-waste for the purpose of reforesting and rehabilitating the areas damaged by the devastating fires in the summer of 2021. With the “Electronic Wastes Turn into Saplings” campaign, implemented in October 2021, the city aimed to increase the interest in recycling and support the burned saplings.

At the end of the campaign, approximately 10 tonnes of electronic waste were collected. Thanks to the collected wastes, environmental pollution was prevented and tonnes of water, oil and raw materials were saved, thus contributing to the country’s economy. In exchange for the collected electronic waste, 400 olive saplings were purchased and sent to Milas Municipality.