Zero Waste Project teaches Turkey's school children about protecting nature
Tetra Pak is a partner in the Zero Waste Project, an award-winning education programme aimed at teaching school children in Turkey about the importance of protecting nature, with a particular focus on recycling, renewability and reducing waste.
We implemented the project with the Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion, for Reforestation and the Protection of Natural Habitats (TEMA). TEMA works at local, national and international level to implement educational activities, and organise awareness-raising events and campaigns for community mobilisation and empowerment.
TEMA representatives and volunteers are visiting schools throughout Turkey to pass on key messages around reducing consumption, and promoting recovery, reuse and recycling. More than 100 elementary schools have already been visited in more than 20 cities. A digital platform has also been introduced to ensure that children in junior high and high schools can also benefit from the project. The aim is to reach 280,000 children physically, and significantly more than that via digital channels, over the project's three-year lifespan.
Other project partners include the Ministries of Environment & Urbanization and National Education, and the launch was attended by Turkey's First Lady Ms Emine Erdoğan. The launch and progress reports were supported with press releases and social media, particularly Instagram. More than a dozen Instagram influencers attended the launch together with their children, sharing the event in their Instagram stories using the hashtag #planetpositive. Further promotional activities are ongoing.
The Zero Waste project recently won the B2NGO Cooperation (cooperation between private sector and NGOs) Award at the Sustainable Business Awards Turkey 2019.