Antalya Governor Leads Plastic‑Pollution Cleanup and Zero‑Waste Initiative

In July, Antalya Governor Hulusi Şahin oversaw the launch of the “Çöp Kapar” system at Phaselis Güney Limanı, a floating‑trash collector designed to remove plastic debris from the Mediterranean. The demonstration, organized with the Zero Waste Foundation and the Antalya Mavi Akdeniz Initiative, was part of the “Plastiksiz Temmuz” (Plastic‑Free July) campaign and preparation for the upcoming COP31 summit.

The event also featured a broader Zero‑Waste and climate workshop at the Mimar Sinan Congress Center, where officials highlighted Turkey’s rise in recycling rates from 13 % to 37.5 % since 2017. Governor Şahin warned, “Where we see trash we will clean it to keep Antalya’s blue‑flag beaches from losing their status,” and called for continued cooperation among public institutions, NGOs and citizens to curb plastic entering the sea.

Both the cleanup demonstration and the workshop underscored the region’s push to address marine plastic pollution, promote zero‑waste practices, and showcase Antalya as a model for sustainable coastal management ahead of the COP31 climate conference.