In December 2022, the Zero Waste and Environmental Management Coordination was established at Dokuz Eylül University to manage and coordinate waste processes. Within this framework, the university implements waste recovery and recycling, ensuring the system functions effectively through regular campus inspections. Additionally, regular meetings are held with unit representatives regarding the separate collection of waste, and ongoing communication is maintained with companies that handle the separate collection of waste from the campuses.

The Coordination also organizes periodic “Zero Waste Awareness Training Seminars” for all students and staff, aiming to emphasize waste reduction in management practices and increase participation in recycling systems. The Coordination provides training to all administrative and academic units, encouraging these units to further disseminate this knowledge to their students and staff. Trained personnel in academic units regularly share this information with their students and colleagues.

Dokuz Eylül University’s official electronic document management system has been actively in use since 2021, establishing a comprehensive framework that eliminates any document circulation outside this centralized platform.

In its pursuit of digitalization in education, DEU actively encourages its undergraduate programs to submit final projects digitally. As of 2023, this important transition saves an estimated 26 tons of paper each year by eliminating the need for each student to print a single hard copy of their project, which averages around 50 pages.

At the graduate level, the university has adopted digital submissions for theses, providing committee members with digital copies since 2023. DEU’s institutes, which witnessed approximately 1,300 graduate students successfully completing their studies in 2023, have achieved a notable reduction in the average number of printed thesis copies, decreasing from five to just two. By eliminating three copies of each thesis—each averaging around 100 pages—DEU has successfully conserved a total of 31.2 tons of paper from graduate studies alone, further underscoring its commitment to sustainability.

In response to the challenges posed by the pandemic, DEU swiftly implemented remote learning initiatives. At current, face to face education is active; however, there are online portals for some courses, and communication related to the classes takes place through these portals.  Many instructors leverage this digital platform to collect assignments for both undergraduate and graduate courses, further contributing to the reduction of paper usage across the university.

Regular pilot studies are being conducted in university campus kitchens to evaluate the generation of organic waste. These studies focus on the four different campus kitchens as the source of organic waste. The process involves measuring the amount of biodegradable waste produced in the kitchens by weighing it over three sampling periods, each lasting two weeks. Based on daily waste generation, the annual amount of organic waste has been calculated. In total, the organic waste generated by Dokuz Eylül University’s kitchens is estimated to be around 27 tons per year. In 2022, a compost machine was donated to Dokuz Eylül University by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change. Since July 2022, organic waste generated at the university, particularly sorting waste from kitchens, has been separated and loaded into the compost machine to produce soil-enhancing material. In total, 9.811 tons of organic waste were converted into stabilized soil conditioner by the compost machine in 2023. The total annual amount of organic waste generated on campus has been determined to be 27 tons, and 36.3% of this total was processed through the compost machine.

While some departments can collect recyclable waste separately in DEU campuses, in others, recyclable materials are collected in a mixed manner. This situation is illustrated in separate graphs. Throughout 2023, a total of 238,543 tons of recyclable waste have been collected from university campuses and delivered to licensed firms. This data is also regularly reported by our institution in the Higher Education Institution Report Card.

In 2023,  a total of 238,543 tons of inorganic waste collected from DEU campuses was completely diverted from landfills and sent for recycling, contributing to the university’s environmental sustainability efforts. This systematic and highly organized collaboration allows for a seamless collection process and contributes to extensive recycling rate of over 85%.

As of 2023, DEU campuses have generated a total of 759.5 tons of medical waste and 70.2 tons of other hazardous waste. These quantities have been meticulously documented and recorded in the Integrated Environmental Information System overseen by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change, ensuring transparency and compliance with environmental regulations.

EÇBS (Integrated Environmental Information System) is a comprehensive online platform developed by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change to facilitate the fulfillment of obligations by institutions, companies, and individuals within the framework of environmental legislation. This system makes environmental management practices more accessible, helping users comply with environmental regulations. Dokuz Eylul University (DEU) has been registered on this important platform since 2019, ensuring that all units within the university regularly record their organic, inorganic, and toxic waste through designated waste officers.

EÇBS operates based on user authorization, with these permissions granted to relevant institutions by the provincial representatives of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change. Authorized users can log into the system with their assigned passwords to input and update waste data. This enables more transparent management and tracking of waste management processes.

The active use of this system at DEU not only allows for the tracking of the current status of waste but also facilitates the monitoring of historical data. Retrospective data tracking is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of waste management processes, identifying opportunities for improvement, and achieving environmental sustainability goals. As a result, DEU can make more informed, data-driven decisions when formulating waste management strategies, taking proactive steps to minimize environmental impact.