Governor Akbıyık’s Call to Coastal Provinces: Plastic Must Be Stopped Before It Reaches the Beaches
Muğla Governor Dr. İdris Akbıyık presented the “Muğla Model”—which aims to stop plastic at the source—at the Turkey Plastic Waste Workshop in Istanbul and proposed the establishment of a joint environmental protection network among coastal provinces.
This article was translated automatically from Turkish. Türkçe orijinal ›
Speaking at the Turkey Plastic Waste Workshop held in Istanbul under the auspices of the Zero Waste Foundation, Muğla Governor Dr. İdris Akbıyık outlined the province’s environmental approach under the title “The Muğla Model.”
Akbıyık’s message was clear: “We are adopting a management model that prevents plastic from reaching Muğla’s coves in the first place, rather than cleaning them up afterward.”
1,484 kilometers of coastline, a sensitive ecosystem
Speaking at the Governors’ Session titled “Local Practices and Evaluation Perspectives in the Plastic Cycle,” moderated by Deputy Minister of the Interior Dr. Mehmet Cangir, Akbıyık noted that Muğla possesses one of Turkey’s most sensitive ecosystems due to its 1,484-kilometer coastline, its bays, and its high volume of tourism, making it one of Turkey’s most sensitive ecosystems. The governor emphasized that plastic pollution should not be viewed merely as a matter of cleanup or waste collection.
The “Blue-Green” Project in Schools
Noting that environmental initiatives are carried out through collective wisdom with the participation of municipalities, universities, public institutions, and civil society, Akbıyık highlighted the “Blue-Green Schools Project,” which includes water purification systems designed to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic bottles in schools. The contributions of the Köyceğiz Lake and Dalyan Canal Boat Conversion Project to the ecosystem were also shared with the participants.
"A General Directorate of Solid Waste Management Should Be Established"
Akbıyık, who also presented structural recommendations on a national scale, called for the establishment of a “General Directorate of Solid Waste Management” or a similar umbrella organization to coordinate the process from a single center.
The governor cited examples from the field, including the Zero Waste Pilot Zone initiatives in Bodrum, waste criteria integrated into licensing processes, the Deposit Management System, and the Clean Navigation Project, which enables real-time tracking of marine vessels. Akbıyık noted that a joint environmental protection network among coastal provinces would increase efficiency.
