Students at Saint Joseph High School in Izmir, Turkey implemented a recycling project to reduce waste and create a forest. They established waste management systems to separate recyclable materials and compost food waste. Regular measurements found the school produced over 1,700 kg of waste monthly. Funds from recycling were donated to the Aegean Forest Foundation to plant trees in a new "recycling forest". The students showed that previously wasted materials can now contribute to the economy and environment through sustainable waste management.

1. CAN A FOREST BE CREATED WITH RECYCLING ?
The increase in human population causes increased consumption waste in parallel with disruption of the
natural balance. It is very well known fact that this deterioration can be prevented by giving what we take from
nature ,back to nature by recycling.For example; the objects that we use as a waste material every day, can be
used as a raw material which can prevent increase in the environmental pollution. When we use scrap paper in
the manufacture of paper again, we are reducing air pollution74-94% , water pollution by 35% and use of
water by 45%.
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Due to its our responsibility to our environment, to nature,to the country's economy and
also to ourselves , is to take a part in recycling projects today.
Saint Joseph High School in Izmir Grade 10 students did perform such a project that, perhaps other educational
institutions, municipalities and civil society organizations working in nature can take as a model.
Students with their research on recycling were looking for answers to their questions: How to reduce waste?
What can be recycled back to nature?
Saint Joseph Young Reporters who were the architect of the project team at first has created a "waste
management model" in school which hadn’t existed before . According to this model some steps are created
like; deposition of recyclable waste at source without mixing the trash; seperation of recyclable waste like
glass, paper, metal and plastic waste; clean and separated material is subjected to recycling in order to
contribute to the economy ; forest creation by obtainig tree seedlings with the school funds to be obtained
from recycling.
To determine the school's recycling potential measurements were performed regularly in a monthly period. As
a result of these measurements, the school appeared to produce about 1707 kg of waste per month .
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Tijen CANİŞLİOĞLU, Environmental Engineer , Özmüşler Waste Management and Environmental Consulting Services Inc.,

2. Meanwhile, in the school recycling and education projects were explained to the other students which
increased awareness on the issue and increased the participation in the project.
Team, during his research of project in the purpose of "waste reduction" , found that cafeteria wastes like
vegetables, fruit peels and pulps, tea, coffee are valuable as organic waste and can be transform into 100%
organic worm compost.
For this purpose, the type of Eisenia foetida worms were obtained and team got to work.The conclusions of
the team was great. These studies showed that, if desired canteen waste can be turned into a valuable
fertilizer.

3. For each of the processes identified by the team enters collaboration with different institutions, Izmir Konak
Municipality provided recycling bins in every classroom in the school and were placed in selected locations. By
the help of our cooperation with the Özmüşler Waste Management and Environmental Consulting Services Inc.
We accumulated wastes were recycled on a weekly basis.
On April 7, 2014 , Saint Joseph High School and the Aegean Forest Foundation signed a protocol hereinafter
funds generated through recycling were transfered to The Foundation by donation as a result Çeşme-Ildırı
"recycling forest" ,forestation area was created.Forest's first seedlings, have been already planted by Project
team...

4. SJ Young reporters team says that with sustainable waste management model the previously wasted and
environmentally damaging waste is now contributing to the economy and shows that useful steps can be
taken to protect environment and they claim that their next step is to spread this model.

5. SJ YOUNG REPORTERS TEAM:
ELA NAZ ŞAHİN, NAZLI ÖZÇUBUKÇU,MELİS YAVRU, ZEYNEP AYSAN,MELİSA FOÇALI, GÜLCE ODAMAN, SELEN
ERBAKAN, DİLA SANDIKÇIOĞLU, YAĞIZ YEŞİLDAĞ, YAĞMUR EMİK, CANSEL KILINÇ, BIANCA BRAGGIOTTI, KAAN
ERSOY, DERİN UMDULAR, ÖZGÜR DEĞİRMENCİ, MERT GÖKTÜRK, ELVAN PRİSTİNE, ZEYNEP DERİN GÖKBAYRAK,
BERKE SOKOL, SELİN VİTEL, SELİN YASAKÇILAR, ILAYDA OZANKAYA, DAMLA YARDIMCI, YONCA SEZERLİ, LEVENT
GÖKMEN, GİZEM TORT, EMRE SUSUP
COORDINATING:
M. UMUT DİLSİZ, UMUT KAYMAK