Turkey's Changemakers: Big environmental action in a barber shop

Sabanci Foundation Turkey’s Changemakers Program continues to share the unique stories of extraordinary people who contribute to the social development.

This week’s Changemaker is Rasim Uyan who promotes recycling at his barber shop in Kocaeli and tries to spread environmentalism across the city saying “I am environment-friendly not for one day but every day”.

Rasim Uyan is barber who has been working to protect environment for 25 years. With the activities and campaigns at his barber shop, he aims to make his customers more sensitive to the environment. Making promotions to attract the customers, Rasim Uyan offers free shave and haircut to persons who bring 5 kilos of waste batteries, 50 glass or plastic bottles, 500 caps of plastic bottles or plant 10 trees. Apart from his recycling campaigns on waste batteries, Rasim Uyan also collects cigarette butts, packages, glass bottles and cans at his shop.

Thanks to his initiatives, the Environmental Protection and Packaging Waste Recovery and Recycling Trust (CEVKO) placed recycling bins in many schools; and Izmit Waste and Residue Treatment, Incineration and Recycling Inc. (IZAYDAS) started to distribute waste battery collection boxes to schools. Rasim Uyan does not only work for environment. At the same time, he attends the “Life with Disabilities” course and tries to make his barber shop more accessible to persons with disabilities.