Abstract

Environmental problems that have been faced recently are differentiated in terms of their source and progress. Household wastes have increased in amount and variety due to improvements in life standards and technological issues. Disposal of wastes before they damage the environment especially concerns the environment and public health as well as the economy. Priority in waste management is regarded as prevention, minimization in source, reuse, recovery/recycling, pre-treatment and disposal. Landfill facilities, solid waste transfer stations, medical waste incineration facilities, plants of electricity production from landfill gas and composting and recycling facilities are operated in Istanbul in compliance with the related legislations. In this way, the waste amounts decrease, recycling activities are performed and energy sources are produced from the solid wastes. The first level in ‘waste management hierarchy’ is to manage the wastes at their source so that it is very important to recycle them as much as possible in order to extend the working life of the landfill sites and prevent the loss of the recyclable economical values. This paper covers the evaluation of the current condition in packaging wastes in Istanbul and looks at the studies to establish a healthy recycling system.

Key words: Waste management, packaging wastes, recovery, recycling.