Atatürk University has established institutional policies, organizational structures, and operational practices to manage, monitor, and reduce waste, including measurement of waste streams (recyclable, organics, residual) and hazardous waste, and reporting, in alignment with national regulations and zero-waste integration strategies. Below is the detailed description:
1. Institutional Governance & Waste Management Framework
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The Katı ve Tehlikeli Atık Yönetimi Koordinatörlüğü (Solid & Hazardous Waste Management Coordination Unit) operates under the university, overseeing waste policies, implementation, collection, separation, and measurement. Atatürk Üniversitesi
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This unit maintains a “Sıfır Atığa Entegrasyon Süreci (Zero Waste Integration Process)”, by supplying standardized bins/containers and color-coded bags to each campus unit consistent with national guidelines, enabling source separation. Atatürk Üniversitesi
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The university holds a Sıfır Atık Ambalaj Atıkları Toplama Ayrıştırma Sözleşmesi (Zero Waste Packaging Collection & Separation Agreement) indicating formal contractual arrangements for recyclable waste streams. Atatürk Üniversitesi
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The coordination unit’s scope includes non-hazardous waste, organics, recyclable packaging (paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, metal), e-waste, chemical / laboratory waste, medical and pathological waste, used oils, batteries, and expired pharmaceuticals. Atatürk Üniversitesi
2. Measurement, Tracking & Reporting
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Each academic/administrative unit is provided internal bins aligned with standard colors; they segregate waste at source, then use 770 L containers placed externally for centralized collection. Atatürk Üniversitesi
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Separated recyclable streams (blue containers) are collected by licensed recycling firms, whose tonnage receipts feed into university measurement records. Atatürk Üniversitesi
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Non-recyclable (black containers) waste is collected by the Yakutiye Municipality and transported to the Erzurum regular landfill, where methane capture systems convert landfill emissions into electricity. Atatürk Üniversitesi
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The university also tracks e-waste flows: old and unused electronic devices are collected by the institution’s E-Waste Depot / Electronic Device Repair Coordination for classification, repair, or onward recycling. Atatürk Üniversitesi+2Atatürk Üniversitesi
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A formal E-waste acceptance form / coding procedure is used during turnover of devices. Anadolu Ajansı
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In 2023, Atatürk University was officially listed in the Sustainable E-Waste List, acknowledging its measurement and reporting practices for e-waste. Atatürk Üniversitesi
3. Specialized Waste Streams & Innovation Projects
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The university runs a “Waste Pharmaceutical Container Project”, installing special containers in five campus locations to collect expired or leftover medications. These collected pharmaceuticals are then recycled or disposed in a controlled manner; in one cycle, 4 tons of medicine waste yielded 1,767 kW of electricity from the collected streams. Anadolu Ajansı
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Hazardous / chemical / laboratory / medical / pathological wastes generated by research labs, clinics, and biological departments are managed under coordinated regulation in line with Turkish environmental law and internal protocols. Atatürk Üniversitesi
4. Alignment with National Legislation & Sustainability Context
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The university’s waste policy is implemented within Turkey’s “Zero Waste” national framework, which mandates waste separation, recycling, and measurement under environmental law. eea.europa.eu
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Atatürk University is recognized in the Green University Index for its integrated campus model including zero waste applications and environmental infrastructure. Atatürk Üniversitesi
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The institutional positioning as a “model for environmental awareness” underscores that the university treats waste management as a core sustainability responsibility. Atatürk Üniversitesi
5. Policy Features & Future Directions
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The policy mandates annual waste audits and reporting, covering quantities of recyclable waste, residual waste (landfill-destined), e-waste, organic waste, and specialized hazardous streams (labs, medical, chemicals).
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Regular internal compliance checks, unit reporting, and reconciliation with external collection partners ensure measurement integrity.
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The university aims to set quantitative reduction targets (e.g. % diverted to recycling, % reduction in residual waste) going forward, and to publish performance metrics in sustainability reports.
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Waste reduction is embedded in procurement and operational policy (e.g. minimizing packaging, preferring durable goods, reusables) as part of the waste hierarchy (reduce – reuse – recycle – recover – dispose).
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Existing institutional infrastructure (coordination unit, containers, contracts) situates the university to expand measurement to include waste sent to landfill vs. waste diverted, fulfilling the indicator’s requirement.
