Turkey launches nationwide deposit‑return recycling program
Environment Minister Murat Kurum posted a video from the Turkey Environment Agency’s Sakarya Storage and Counting Center showing how beverage containers deposited in DOA machines are processed. The Deposit‑Return System (Depozitosu Olan Ambalajlar, DOA) went live nationwide on 1 July 2026, with machines installed in 81 provinces and 973 districts.
The footage shows PET and aluminium bottles being separated on a baling line, while glass is collected separately and sent to recovery plants. Containers from hotels, restaurants and cafés (the “HOREKA” stream) are also gathered, counted and recorded before being sold through public tenders to recycling firms, generating economic returns and supplying raw material to the sector. Engineer Mehmet Zorlu says the facility handles about 7 000 items per day – roughly 600 kg of PET after the system’s ramp‑up – and that collection volumes have tripled since the launch.
The programme aims to boost recycling rates, reduce litter and create a market for reclaimed materials as part of Turkey’s broader waste‑management strategy.