How can the transformation toward a circular economy be pushed ahead? That was the dominant question on the three days of the fair at the Istanbul Expo Centre (IFM), while the discussions not only focused on Turkey, but on the entire MENA region and Central Asia. Sebastian Frisch, CEO of BlackForest Solutions and Chairman of the MENA Region Working Group at RETech German Partnership: “The circular economy not only improves living standards, but also contributes to the diversification of economic output. In the medium and long term, the MENA region plans to attain European levels. With its technological solutions, IFAT Eurasia provides important impulses for this region.”
What a functioning waste cycle can look like for the countries of Eurasia in order to limit the littering of rivers and seas in the region was discussed by a panel of top-class scientists, politicians, industry experts and NGOs at the opening of the specialist supporting program. During the debate, Kerem Noyan, Head of Marine & Coastal Management at the Turkish Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning said: “The tourism sector in particular ‘as beneficiary of a clean marine environment’ has to be made more responsible in environmental issues. Therefore, tourism providers and hotel operators are among the main stakeholders of the Marine Litter Action Plans which will be prepared for every coastal province in order to achieve marine litter free seas. These plans include the implementation of the zero-waste approach in hotels, the delivery of ship wastes to port reception facilities and in this context the use of the Blue Card Ship Waste Tracking System which was developed for yachts and small boats, public awareness campaigns, information notes for tourists, clean-up and prevention measures.”
In the water segments of IFAT Eurasia, hygienization was one of the key topics. Roland Knitschky of the German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste (DWA): “Technologies for hygienic cleaning were in high demand in the drinking and industrial water sectors. Visitor groups from Central Asia focused on wastewater issues, including processes for treating problem waters from special industries.”
Another highlight of the supporting program was the International Environmental Conference, in short: IREMCON. Under the banner of “Combating Global Climate Change and Strengthening International Cooperation in Waste Management”, the leading environmental conference of Turkey and the entire Balkan region took place for the first time as part of IFAT Eurasia.
The Buyers Mission program was also a novelty. The initiative of the Turkish Ministry of Economy brought together solution providers and solution seekers in a targeted manner.
More information available at www.ifat-eurasia.com