site.btaTurkiye Introduces Recycling Return System Nationwide, Increases Refund Amount

A deposit-refund system for plastic, glass bottles and metal cans has been introduced as of July 1 in all 81 Turkish provinces and will cover 973 municipalities, Turkiye's Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change reported on Wednesday. For each returned bottle or metal can, citizens will receive one lira (EUR 0.02).

The funds are expected to be deposited into a digital wallet, which is part of the system's DOA app. The money can then be transferred to a bank account, withdrawn from an ATM, or used for purchases at retail chains and other stores that have a signed agreement.

Funds will be deposited only when machines with the DOA logo are used, and to encourage their use, the received amount has been increased from TRY 0.25 (EUR 0.004) to TRY 1 (0.02 euros). The introduction of the deposit system also calls for an increase in the number of deposit machines, which will be placed in various locations such as supermarkets, retail chains, grocery stores, snack bars, shopping centres, gas stations, universities, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, and cafes.

Through the DOA mobile app or the initiative's website, citizens will be able to check where the machine closest to them is located. A BTA inspection shows that there are currently two such machines in Ankara, located in the Grand National Assembly. Turkiye plans on collecting 25 billion packaging items annually through the system, with an estimated economic contribution of around TRY 30 billion (EUR 565 million).

Recycling in Turkiye is an integral part of the Zero Waste programme, implemented under the auspices of First Lady Emine Erdogan since 2017. The strategy aims to increase recycling rate to 70% by 2053. In 2025, the rate was 37.5%, while in the first year of implementation marked 13%.