Over 150,000 tons of marine litter collected

ANKARA

Some 154 thousand tons of waste has been collected from the seas since 2019 and demolished within the scope the “Zero Waste Blue” project prepared by the Environment, Urbanization and the Climate Change Ministry.

With the implementation of this project and the action plans on marine litter prepared a provincial basis, around 154 thousand tons of marine litter has been collected and disposed of from the coast and the sea since 2019, according to the ministry.

The ministry aims with this project to fight against marine litter, which threatens the seas and rivers and the health of the creatures living in and interacting with these ecosystems, besides implementing action plans in all of the country’s coastal provinces.

Action plans include reviewing the status of waste management and wastewater treatment facilities, taking more effective measures, preventing the polluting effects of maritime and fishing activities such as ports, and raising public awareness.

The project is a continuation of the “Zero Waste Project” carried out by Türkiye’s first lady Emine Erdoğan and implemented with the coordination of the ministry.

Marine litter is a global problem today as it is transported over long distances, doesn’t disappear for many years, is included in the food chain after being broken down, and accumulates in the bodies of living things.

Erdoğan received the World Bank’s first-ever “Climate and Development Leadership Award” for the pioneering role she assumed in the fight against climate change with her Zero Waste Project.