The Mersin Zero Waste, Environment, and Climate Change Workshop Results Conference Was Hosted by Our University

The Mersin Concluding Conference, organized as part of the “Turkey Zero Waste, Environment, and Climate Change Workshops” conducted by the Zero Waste Foundation under the motto “From Local to National: Waste, Resource Management, and Reducing Waste,” was held on Friday, October 16, at the Akdeniz Cultural Center, hosted by our University.

Organized under the auspices of the Mersin Governor’s Office and coordinated by the Zero Waste Foundation, the event was held in collaboration with our University, the Mersin Metropolitan Municipality, the Mersin Provincial Directorate of Environment, Urban Planning, and Climate Change, and the Mersin Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, and was attended by prominent figures. Attendees at the conference included Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, Minister of Family and Social Services; Atilla Toros, Governor of Mersin; Ali Kıratlı, Member of Parliament for Mersin; Burak Demiralp, Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change; Prof. Dr. Erol Yaşar, our Rector; and Osman Arslan, General Manager of Türkiye Vakıflar Bankası T.A.O. General Manager Osman Arslan, and Samed Ağırbaş, President of the Zero Waste Foundation and COP31 High-Level Climate Champion.

Mersin Provincial Zero Waste Target Document Announced to the Public

At the conference, the outcomes of the Mersin Workshop—held at our university on May 12 with 194 participants, where the city’s environmental priorities were discussed at 15 thematic tables—were shared. As part of the program, the “Mersin Provincial Zero Waste Target Document”—which will guide Mersin’s environmental transformation and was approved by the Mersin Governor’s Office—was announced to the public. The presentation of the document and the workshop’s outcomes was delivered by Murat Kuş, Deputy Provincial Director of the Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change Directorate.

Best Practice Examples Were Showcased

Successful projects aimed at raising awareness of zero waste were also presented to participants at the event. In this context, short films showcasing the Mersin Provincial Directorate of National Education’s “From Waste to Paper & Art” project, the Mersin Metropolitan Municipality’s “Climate and Environmental Awareness Initiatives,” and the Mersin Maturity Institute’s “Don’t Throw Away, Separate, Recycle” project were screened for the audience.

Following the opening remarks, the program continued with the presentation of certificates of appreciation to the project owners of best-practice examples and to the organizing committee, which included administrators and faculty members from our university.

The conference concluded with a group family photo and a tour of the Mersin Zero Waste Best Practices Exhibition Area.

Press and Public Relations Department