“WE ARE AWARE OF AUTISM, WE SUPPORT WITH RECYCLING”

Through a joint social responsibility project by Ataşehir Municipality, CarrefourSA, Tohum Autism Foundation, AGİD, and Exitcom, unused electronic devices and lamps will be collected at CarrefourSA stores and turned into contributions that support the education of children with autism.

The project will launch on October 2nd at CarrefourSA locations in Ataşehir.

Ataşehir Municipality Launches a New Social Responsibility Project, Setting an Example for Many Institutions in Türkiye with Its Environmental and Public Health Initiatives

Ataşehir Municipality, known for prioritizing environmental and human health through impactful projects, is launching a new social responsibility initiative.
Electronic waste, the fastest-growing type of waste today, contains not only valuable elements but also numerous substances that are harmful to human health and the environment.
If Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) is not properly collected, recycled, or disposed of, the hazardous materials it contains can spread uncontrollably into the environment, causing irreversible damage.

In response to these issues, a joint social responsibility project has been created by public and private sector stakeholders. Ataşehir Municipality, AGİD (Lighting Equipment Manufacturers Association), and Exitcom have signed a cooperation protocol with CarrefourSA to collect electronic waste at CarrefourSA locations.

Environmentally conscious citizens can contribute to recycling and support the education of children with autism by bringing their unused electrical and electronic devices and lamps to CarrefourSA stores.
Starting October 2nd, anyone wishing to support this project can bring their small household appliances and lamps to CarrefourSA locations in Ataşehir, helping both the planet and autistic children.

Through this initiative, Ataşehir Municipality, AGİD, and CarrefourSA will not only fulfill their legal obligations but also raise public awareness about e-waste and recycling, while supporting Tohum Autism Foundation through donations.

As part of the project launched with the slogan “We Are Aware of Autism, We Support with Recycling,” collection bins will be placed in CarrefourSA stores in Ataşehir to collect waste electrical and electronic equipment.
By dropping expired or no longer functioning small devices and lamps into these bins, citizens will directly contribute to the education of children with autism.

“Ataşehir Municipality has been a pioneering local authority for the past nine years through the projects it has developed and implemented for the protection of the environment and public health. We are committed to repaying our debt to nature by organizing efforts particularly focused on the collection and recycling of waste.

With our social responsibility project launched under the slogan ‘We Are Aware of Autism, We Support with Recycling’, our goal is to contribute to the education and learning processes of children diagnosed with autism and to support their social and personal development.

Every small or large contribution to the education and development of these special children will be incredibly valuable to us. We hope that this project serves as a strong example in raising social responsibility awareness and that it will grow, evolve, and spread even further.”

“As a pioneering company in electronic waste recycling in Türkiye, we contribute to the circular economy and a sustainable environment by recycling all categories of electronic waste through our continuously developed eco-friendly processes and our commitment to approaching zero waste.

In addition to this, we lead numerous projects aimed at raising awareness among the public and institutions about the environmental hazards of electronic waste and encouraging greater participation in recycling. Through social responsibility initiatives, we aim to reach more institutions and individuals while increasing public awareness.

With the project ‘We Are Aware of Autism, We Support with Recycling,’ launched in cooperation with Ataşehir Municipality, CarrefourSA, AGİD, and Tohum Autism Foundation, we seek to raise awareness for both our environment and children with autism, and to contribute to their future through educational support.

We are proud to be part of this environmentally focused social responsibility project, which will provide scholarships for the education of many children with autism through the revenue generated from electronic waste recycling.

We sincerely thank all our partners for their sensitivity and contributions, and we invite everyone to support recycling and bring hope to our children’s future.”

CarrefourSA General Manager Kutay Kartallıoğlu, shared his thoughts on their support for the E-Waste Collection Project, stating:

“Electrical and electronic products, which we use extensively in every aspect of our daily lives, begin to pose serious risks to both the environment and human health once they reach the end of their life cycle.

At CarrefourSA, in line with our commitment to environmental and human health, we have launched awareness initiatives by collecting a wide range of waste items from our customers—from batteries and lamps to electronic devices and used cooking oil.

Now, with the support of Ataşehir Municipality, we are adding a new initiative to these efforts by supporting the E-Waste Collection Campaign organized by the Lighting Equipment Manufacturers Association (AGİD).

In doing so, we contribute to the sustainability of our awareness and environmental protection activities.

The fact that the revenue generated from the disposal of this waste by licensed organizations will be donated to the Tohum Autism Foundation is the most rewarding and meaningful aspect of this campaign.”

“Our association, which has been authorized by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization for the waste management of electrical and electronic equipment, has been implementing projects since receiving this mandate to reduce waste volumes and promote recycling of electrically powered products such as lighting equipment, small household appliances, power tools, and monitoring/control devices.

With this project—carried out in cooperation with CarrefourSA and Ataşehir Municipality—we aim to raise public awareness about recycling and promote waste separation at the source, reaching end-users effectively.

Unfortunately, when fluorescent lamps, vacuum cleaners, small household appliances, personal care devices, and other electronic equipment are not collected properly and systematically, they are often discarded into nature. The hazardous substances inside them can seep into water, air, and soil, posing serious risks to both the environment and human health.

Through this project, by spreading awareness of electronic waste recycling among end-users and ensuring that collected waste is recycled in compliance with standards, we will eliminate harmful substances such as mercury, lead, and phosphorus. At the same time, we will recover valuable materials like iron, copper, aluminum, and plastic, thereby contributing to the education of children with autism.

I would like to thank all our partners involved in this project and invite everyone to become aware of autism and support recycling.”

“Today, 1 in every 68 children in the world is born at risk of autism, and this number continues to rise each year. Autism is a developmental difference that is present from birth and typically recognized within the first three years of life.

To raise awareness about autism and help autistic children access education, CarrefourSA, Ataşehir Municipality, AGİD, and Exitcom have joined forces to launch a very meaningful recycling project in collaboration with Tohum Autism Foundation.

The more children we can provide with educational scholarships, the more hopeful we can be about their future—because education is the only known treatment, remedy, and solution for autism today.

Therefore, the greatest support you can offer a child with autism is giving them access to education.

We invite everyone who wants to give them this opportunity to support this recycling project, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to all our partners who stand by us in this initiative by saying, ‘We Are Aware of Autism, We Support with Recycling.’”