Heaps of trash removed from forest, beach

ISTANBUL

With people overwhelmed by the heat flocking to forests and beaches to cool off, approximately 18 tons of garbage have been removed from the Belgrade Forest over the weekend, Istanbul Municipality has reported, while a group of volunteers in the southern province of Antalya cleared up Konyaaltı Beach from trash.

Garbage collectors faced difficulty clearing the massive amount of trash containing exploded soccer balls, leftover food, picnic chairs, plastic water bottles and cardboard boxes left behind by people visiting the forest.

According to information received from the municipality, over the weekend, the amount of garbage collected from Belgrade totaled 5 tons on July 21, 6 tons on July 22 and 7 tons on July 23.

Locals living nearby were frustrated at the unpleasant site they witnessed, stating that the forest is overwhelmed by a stench, looking deplorable.

Locals living nearby were frustrated to see the unpleasant site of garbage heaps in the forest and stated that the forest reeked and looked hideous.

Meanwhile, within the scope of a project launched in cooperation with the Environmental Education Foundation of Türkiye (TÜRÇEV), Ecological Research Association (EKAD) and the Antalya Municipality, local and foreign students collected garbage on Konyaaltı Beach in Antalya.

As part of the project called "Plastic-Free Coasts, Plastic-Free Waters," which aims to raise awareness about the increasing pollution threatening the marine ecosystem of the entire Mediterranean, 30 volunteer students were given basic environmental awareness and ecology training for two days. In addition, 15 foreign exchange students from Australia also participated in garbage collection activities.

Following the garbage collection event, the volunteer students stated that 4,301 cigarette butts, 767 plastic, 245 metal, 157 cardboard, 156 unidentified pieces, 109 organic, 36 wood and 15 glass materials were collected.