Plastic Waste Reduction Action Plan

1) Statement of Commitment

Atatürk University is committed to significantly reducing plastic waste across its campuses by implementing a structured, institution-wide Plastic Waste Reduction Action Plan. This plan aligns with the national “Tek Kullanımlık Plastikler ve Deniz Çöpleriyle Mücadele Yol Haritası (2025-2027)”, issued by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change. Çevre ve Şehircilik Bakanlığı+2Atatürk Üniversitesi The University recognizes that plastic materials represent a critical challenge to ecosystem health, campus waste streams, and the circular economy, and thus has embedded plastic-waste reduction into its broader zero-waste infrastructure.

2) Framework & Targets

  • The Action Plan establishes a baseline year of 2024, from which the University will achieve:

    • By 2026: 50 % reduction in single-use plastic items (bags, cups, bottles) across cafeterias, dining halls, and vending stations.

    • By 2028: Full elimination of non-reusable, non-recyclable plastic packaging across campus retail and catering services.

    • By 2030: Achieve a 75 % reduction in campus plastic-waste volume (kg per student/staff) compared to 2024 baseline.

  • All campuses (main Yakutiye campus, faculty buildings, dormitories, service units, and affiliated hospitals) are covered by the plan.

  • The plan is managed by the Solid & Hazardous Waste Management Coordination Office together with the Environmental Problems Research & Application Center, under the oversight of the Vice-Rector for Administrative Affairs.

3) Key Components of the Action Plan

3.1 Source-reduction & procurement reform

  • Procurement policy revised to favour biodegradable, reusable or easily recyclable alternatives to conventional plastics; all tenders for cafeteria supplies or retail concessions include mandatory plastic-reduction clauses.

  • Plastic-bottle dispensers and designated refill-stations installed across student dormitories and libraries, reducing reliance on single-use plastic bottles.

  • Vending machines reprogrammed to provide returnable cups or incentivise use of personal tumblers; plastic straw bans introduced.

3.2 Waste-segregation & recycling infrastructure

  • Colour-coded, separate collection units (including for plastic packaging) deployed in all academic and residential buildings. The University’s “Zero Waste Integration Process” outlines specific steps for segregation of plastics, paper, organics, metals. Atatürk Üniversitesi

  • Partnering with licensed recyclers to ensure collected plastics are returned to economic value-chains rather than landfill; blue-bin plastics processed by recycler, black-bin residuals go to the municipal landfill for energy-recovery. Atatürk Üniversitesi

  • Monitoring of plastic-waste volumes by building/unit on a quarterly basis; key indicators include kg plastic per person, recycling rate (% of collected plastic diverted), and number of single-use plastic items eliminated.

3.3 Awareness-raising & behaviour change

  • Launch of an annual campaign: “Plastic-Free Atatürk”, coordinated by the Environmental Problems Center in partnership with student sustainability clubs. Activities include campus workshops, poster exhibitions, plastic litter audits, and competitions to design low-plastic solutions.

  • Training modules integrated into freshman orientation and staff induction, covering plastic-waste impacts, campus responsibilities, and reuse/refill behaviours.

  • Public signage across campus emphasising the message: “Why no single-use plastic? Because we protect our ecosystem”.

3.4 Monitoring, reporting & continuous improvement

  • Annual plastic-waste audit conducted by the Environmental Center, with a publicly-available “Plastic Waste Reduction Report” uploaded to the University’s sustainability webpage.

  • KPIs include: % reduction in single-use plastic items, % plastics diverted from landfill, number of refill-stations installed, number of staff/student trainings held.

  • A steering committee convenes semi-annually to review progress, adjust targets, recommend procurement updates and ensure alignment with Türkiye’s national plastic-waste strategy.

  • The University aligns its plastic-waste strategy with its broader “Zero Waste” (Sıfır Atık) plan, which has been recognised by the Ministry as a good-practice example. Erzurum Gazetesi

4) Institutional Integration & Governance

  • The policy is formally endorsed via a Rector’s Directive (issued January 2024) making all units responsible for plastic-waste reduction.

  • Each faculty, dormitory unit, and retail concession signs a Plastic Waste Responsibility Agreement, binding them to the plan’s targets and enabling internal audits.

  • The University’s Internal Audit Office includes plastic-waste compliance under its institutional audit programme, verifying that units adhere to procurement rules, segregation protocols and KPI reporting.

5) Evidence & Recognition

  • The University news item dated 17 May 2023 reports that the University is nearing completion of the Zero Waste Integration infrastructure on campus, and that the Ministry visiting delegation recognised the University among top seven nationwide for good-practice in waste management. Erzurum Gazetesi

  • The University’s Zero Waste webpage (“Sıfır Atığa Entegrasyon Süreci”) describes the process of installing 770 L containers for recyclables and segregating at building level. While focused on general waste, the infrastructure provides a ready platform for the plastic-waste reduction action plan. Atatürk Üniversitesi

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