Vegetable Waste Oils Are Becoming Forests
A waste oil collection campaign was organized with the leadership of the Konak Rotary and Rotaract clubs in İzmir’s Konak district, supported by Habitat Recycling. As part of this campaign, vegetable waste oils are being transformed into forests.
The campaign, led by the Konak Rotary and Rotaract clubs in İzmir’s Konak district, was supported by the Demirtaş Rotary and Bursa Rotaract clubs from Bursa. Over 500 liters of waste oil were collected in the campaign. The proceeds from the collected oils will be used to create a 150-tree forest.
1 LITER OF WASTE OIL POLLUTES THE DAILY DRINKING WATER OF 4,500 PEOPLE
In a press statement with Konak Rotaract Club President İrem Sayın, Konak Rotary Club President İlkay Söylemezoğlu pointed out that according to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) in 2018, 1 liter of used oil poured down the drain makes the daily drinking water of approximately 4,500 people unusable. İlkay Söylemezoğlu said, “With this campaign, supported by Habitat Recycling and Environmental Company, and the efforts of Rotarians, we have collected over 500 liters of vegetable waste oil. We worked in a wide area from Çeşme to Foça in İzmir. Bursa Rotaract and Demirtaş Rotary, JCI İzmir associations in İzmir, local businesses, and conscious citizens who did not pour oil down their drains, along with our Konak Interact Club, supported us. Our project was completed in a month. With the oils collected, we have helped keep the daily drinking water of approximately 2.25 million people clean, while 150 saplings, obtained through collaboration with the Aegean Forest Foundation, will find their place in the Rotary Peace Forest. We have not only prevented some of the damage waste oils do to nature but also raised awareness by drawing the attention of consumers and contributed to regional reforestation efforts through our tree donations. We are happy.”
Söylemezoğlu also added that similar campaigns would be renewed in the future.