A promotional meeting was held for the Rewa Anatolia Fair, which will focus on recycling and waste management issues in Adana. The fair will be organized with the support of the Adana Governorship, Adana Metropolitan Municipality, Çukurova Fair Organization Inc., Adana Chamber of Commerce (ATO), Adana Chamber of Industry (ADASO), and Adana Hacı Sabancı Organized Industrial Zone (AOSB), in collaboration with the Çukurova Municipalities Union. The fair will showcase the latest technologies and services in areas such as urban waste management, transportation, and cleaning vehicles, facilities, and machinery.

“We Embarked on a Journey to Contribute to the Green Transformation Process”

Speaking at the press conference organized for the fair, Feraye Gürel, the General Manager of Solis Fair Organization and Consultancy Services Inc., stated, “We embarked on a journey to contribute to the fight against climate change and to make a contribution to the green transformation process in order to build a sustainable future for our country.”

“The World is in Great Haste”

Emphasizing that the world is in great haste, Gürel stated, “Climate change is occurring mostly due to human reasons, and the world is warming. Although a 1.5-degree increase may not seem like a significant difference on paper, the impact it creates and will create is enormous. Waste also causes irreversible pollution of resources such as water, soil, and air, in addition to the increase in greenhouse gas emissions. As Solis Renewable Hub, believing in a sustainable future and conducting work in this direction, we decided to organize the REWA Anatolia Recycling and Waste Management Fair and Conference in Adana, which is one of the leading provinces in our country with its advanced production infrastructure, ongoing mega projects, and a young and dynamic population.”

“Recycling and Waste Management are Essential for Us”

Mustafa Çay, the Mayor of Pozantı and a Member of the Board of Directors of Çukurova Municipalities Union, said, “Recycling and waste management are essential for us. While we should be preparing recycling for the future, unfortunately, we are endangering it with our own hands. As Pozantı Municipality, we convert the waste of our district into energy. Recycling and waste management, which we attach great importance to, should be included in the curriculum of National Education. Students should be educated and raised awareness on this issue from the primary education period. We will see more details at this fair. It will be an important fair and workshop for Adana.”

“Recycling is Increasing Worldwide Every Day”

Zeki Kıvanç, the President of Adana Chamber of Industry (ADASO), stated, “Recycling is becoming increasingly important worldwide. Countries have started to develop special strategies and policies on this issue. Both as TOBB and Adana Chamber of Industry, we are informing companies about the importance of catching up with the recycling trend and the obligations they request from us. We emphasize that companies that do not catch up with this trend may become unable to export and may experience significant market losses. There is a challenging process ahead of us. The world is undergoing significant change and transformation. We witness an important transformation called twin transformation, resulting from global warming and digitization. This process has many important aspects and sub-divisions. Green Deal, Carbon Footprint, Water Footprint, Circular Economy, Recycling, Farm-to-Fork Strategy, Carbon Market, or Sustainability are just a few of them. At the core of all these processes is the target of zero carbon emissions. As you all know, the European Union has implemented the Border Carbon Adjustment Mechanism. The process is applied as a transitional period from October 1, 2023, to December 31, 2025, with a reporting obligation every three months. The actual implementation period will begin with the introduction of financial obligations on January 1, 2026. According to experts, the country most adversely affected by the European Union Border Carbon Adjustment Mechanism Regulation after China and Russia in 2026 will be Turkey. The European Union imposes additional fees on imported products for carbon emissions during production. In this way, it aims to ensure cleaner production in other countries and protect the competitiveness of European Union producers. Compliance with the obligations, rules, standards, and mechanisms brought about by the European Green Deal and the additional obligations it brings is vital for all companies wishing to export, including exporters. Our country, which exports more than 50% of its exports to Europe, has no chance of avoiding this process. We will either pay these taxes and try to compete, or we will comply with these rules. We will have gained a tax advantage over our competitors. As Adana Chamber of Industry, we closely follow this transformation process. We have established a very important center called the Industrial Campus. I recommend everyone who wants to benefit to visit it. In our Campus, we have brought together many important organizations such as Adana Model Factory Competence and Digital Transformation Center, Adana Innovation Center, Çukurova Energy Efficiency Center, ADASO Certification Institution, and Water Efficiency Center. We have started to provide many services together for the transformation related to the industry experienced in the Campus. I especially want to emphasize that you can benefit from here. As a country, we have the power, ability, and knowledge to turn this into an opportunity. I believe that the REWA Anatolia Recycling and Waste Management Fair and Conference will be very important as it will provide the opportunity to explore the future technologies, services, and industrial solutions in the green and circular economy sectors today. It is an important opportunity to obtain the latest innovations and transformations in sustainability, waste management, smart waste disposal, recycling strategies, and circularity in many sectors. I thank everyone involved in organizing the fair.”

“Adana is the Largest Province with 72% Recycling”

Yücel Bayram, the President of Adana Chamber of Commerce (ATO), pointed out that Adana is one of the largest provinces with 72% recycling in recycling. He said, “We throw our household waste without separating it. These separations are made with bags in Europe. Trash containers should be removed. This issue is the biggest problem in the country. Strict rules should be applied at the government level. I believe that this first fair in Adana will be successful.”