Türkiye launches nationwide waste return scheme

ANKARA

Türkiye has rolled out its nationwide Deposit Return System (DOA) on July 1, introducing a refundable incentive of 1 Turkish Lira for eligible plastic, glass and aluminium beverage containers as part of efforts to boost recycling and reduce waste.

Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum announced that the scheme, previously tested in pilot provinces, will expand to the country’s 81 provinces and 973 districts. Consumers who return beverage containers bearing the official DOA logo to designated return points or reverse vending machines will receive 1 lira per container, up from the previous pilot incentive of 0.25 liras.

Kurum said the marked containers are already on the market and would no longer be viewed as waste after the system comes into force.

“From July 1, citizens who buy these products will no longer see them as rubbish. When they take them to deposit return points or machines, they will receive a 1-lira refund for each product,” he said.

“Previously, the amount was 25 kuruş in pilot provinces. From July 1, it will be 1 lira per item. The money will be credited to their e-wallets, after which they can withdraw it from partner banks or spend it at participating markets,”

Kurum described the initiative as a flagship environmental project ahead of the COP31 climate process, saying Türkiye aimed to demonstrate practical solutions for a circular economy.
“The era of ‘take, use and throw away’ is over. The era of ‘take, use and recycle’ has begun,” he said. “We must work with the awareness that resources are not infinite and return these materials to the economy.”

The minister said the system is expected to collect 25 billion beverage containers annually, providing recycled raw materials for industry while reducing energy consumption and emissions. He estimated the program would generate around 30 billion liras ($643,000,000) in annual economic value.

“We will return these products to production and employment as raw materials. There are gains in energy savings, emissions and many other areas,” he added.

The scheme is being implemented under Türkiye’s Zero Waste initiative and managed by the Turkish Environment Agency (TÜÇA). Supermarket chains, grocery stores, kiosks and businesses, including hotels, restaurants and cafés, will serve as collection points, storing returned containers before transferring them to authorized operators.

Consumers can receive the refund instantly through the DOA mobile application, where the incentive is credited to a digital wallet. Funds can then be transferred to bank accounts, withdrawn in cash from ATMs or used for purchases at participating retailers, making the recycling process both accessible and financially rewarding.