Residents of İstanbul will now be able to get credits towards free transportation in exchange for empty cans and plastic bottles, the state-owned Anadolu news agency reported, citing the mayor.
İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mevlüt Uysal announced a new recycling project at a news conference in İstanbul under which people will receive credit on their passenger cards (İstanbul kart) in exchange for bottles and cans.
The municipality’s automated “smart containers” will be able to collect 0.33, 0.50, 1 and 1.5-liter beverage cans and bottles.
“The containers will give 0.02 Turkish lira [$0.003] in credit for a 0.33-liter bottle, 0.03 lira [$0.0045] for a 0.5-liter, 0.06 lira [$0.009] for a 1-liter, 0.09 lira [$0.014] for a 1.5-liter, 0.07 lira [($0.01] for a 0.33-liter can and 0.09 lira [$0.014] for a 0.5-liter bottle,” the mayor stated.
The mayor stressed that the municipality also planned to reward people who recycled the most bottles and cans through these containers, with free or discounted municipal services such as theater tickets.
The containers were manufactured by the municipality’s participating company, Istanbul IT and Smart City Technologies, Inc. (Isbak), the mayor said.
“So far, we have produced 10 containers and will produce 100 within a month.”
Smart containers are cheaper than other recycling and waste collecting systems, he noted.
The containers will be located in underground stations and at schools.
The municipality also plans to develop new recycling machines for glass and batteries, Uysal said.