In the subparagraph (ı) of the 9th article titled “Environmental Protection” of the Environmental Law No. 2872 (Amended by Law No. 5491) contains “It is essential to include environmental issues in the curriculum of formal education institutions affiliated to the Ministry of National Education, starting from pre-school education, in order to protect the environment and raise environmental awareness in the public.”

By the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization in 2018 all over Turkey, especially public institutions, universities, schools, hospitals, shopping centers, etc. “Zero Waste Project” has been started in places where the population is dense. With this project, it is aimed to reduce the generation of waste, to separate the wastes at the source and bring them back to the economy, to prevent waste generation through the trainings given to our children, youth and all individuals, and to gain an environmentally friendly life culture.

The “Zero Waste Regulation” has been published within the scope of the “Zero Waste Project”, which essentially aims to change the consumption habits and is a first in the world. With this regulation, metropolitan municipalities are responsible for making awareness-raising and training activities for the dissemination of the zero waste management system and raising awareness on this issue, raising awareness in the public, social responsibility projects and environmental education projects to raise awareness about waste management, and making spot broadcasts in the written and visual media.

For this reason, in addition to the infrastructure works carried out by Bursa Metropolitan Municipality for the protection of the environment, environmental education has started to be given in primary schools in the 2021-2022 academic year in order to increase the environmental awareness of the students and to spread the environmental awareness.

With this, “kindergartens” were opened by Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, providing quality and free education for children who could not receive pre-school education services. In line with the intense demands of citizens, the number of kindergartens was increased to 16. To date, 1,400 children have been provided with pre-school education in kindergartens and their families have been supported.

In the process of increasing environmental awareness, children constitute an important target group. Children are volunteer environmental ambassadors because they share what they have learned with their families at home.

As Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Environmental Protection and Control Department, Zero Waste and Climate Change Branch Directorate, we are planning to organize a joint event with Social Services Department, Lifelong Learning Branch Directorate within the scope of European Waste Reduction Week. We are organizing an event on 26 November 2021 to raise awareness about waste reduction and recycling for our 30 pre-school children (4-6 years old) in Alacahırka Kindergarten.

The one-day event that will be jointly organized by Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, Environmental Protection and Control Department, Zero Waste and Climate Change Branch Directorate and Social Services Department, Lifelong Learning Branch Directorate will start at 09:00 on 26 November 2021. The event will be attended by the assistant secretary general, the heads of departments, and the branch managers.

Within the scope of the event;

1- Informational presentation on “Nature Friends, Elif’s Environmental Team”

2- “Recycle Paper” video preview

3- Watching cartoons about recycling

4- Educational, educational, entertaining workshops

5-Recycling themed games

6- Cloth bag painting activity

7- Distributing informative magazines, CDs, coloring books etc. to children

8- Kindergarten recycling bin, waste battery bin, etc. will be placed

Assistance was received from İnegöl H.Sevim Yıldız Furniture and Interior Design Technology Vocational Technical Anatolian High School for the design and construction of wooden toy materials to be used in the workshop. With toys made using recyclable wood instead of plastic toys, it is aimed to use less plastic and reduce the amount of plastic waste, as well as for children to play with toys made of healthier and environmentally friendly materials.

It is aimed to reduce waste paper generation and prevent waste of paper with the video screening on “Recycle Your Paper”.

By placing a waste battery box, it is aimed to gain the awareness that waste batteries are hazardous waste and should be collected separately from all the remaining garbage from an early age and to teach them practically.

With the information presentation, cartoons, games, workshops and the placement of separate waste collection boxes for recyclable wastes, it is aimed to teach children about recycling awareness practically from an early age, by reducing waste at the source.

With the information presentation, cartoons, games, workshops and the placement of separate waste collection boxes for recyclable wastes, it is aimed to teach children about recycling awareness practically from an early age, by reducing waste at the source.

It is foreseen that children will become an exemplary model for their families and surroundings by making these experiences a habit in their lives.