Kapaklı District Governor’s Office, Kapaklı Municipality, District Directorate of National Education, Samsung Partnership.

“Transform Your Technology, Protect Water”

Project Rationale
Approximately 50 million tons of electronic waste is generated worldwide each year; only 20% of this can be recycled. E-waste containing heavy metals such as mercury, lead, and cadmium pollutes the soil and water, causing serious harm to human health. In Turkey, it is estimated that approximately 9 million tons of e-waste are generated annually. At the same time, every faucet left running wastes 6 liters of water per minute. This project aims to protect the environment by collecting e-waste and to save water by installing smart faucet systems in schools with the revenue generated.

Project Objective
With the acceleration of technological developments, the frequency of electronic device usage has increased; parallel to this, a significant rise in the amount of electronic waste (e-waste) has been observed. E-waste discarded into the environment in an uncontrolled manner disrupts the balance of ecosystems through heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and cadmium, as well as various chemical compounds, causing water and soil pollution and indirectly threatening human health. This situation necessitates addressing e-waste not only as an environmental issue but also as a socio-economic problem.

Target Audience and Stakeholders

Students: They play an active role in electronic waste collection activities, seminars, and awareness events. As environmental ambassadors, they are the primary implementers of the recycling process.
Teachers: They are responsible for planning, coordinating, and guiding students in activities carried out in schools.
District Governor’s Office and District National Education Directorate: Carries out the project’s institutional approval processes, organizes school-based applications, and ensures coordination between stakeholders.
Kapaklı Municipality: Provides logistical and technical support in determining, transporting, and temporarily storing waste collection points in the district; carries out the operational part of the project with environmental cleaning units.
Samsung Turkey: Responsible for organizing seminars on environmental and sustainable technology themes, securing financial resources, and installing smart faucet systems in schools.
Parents and Public: Support the process by bringing electronic waste from their homes; contribute to raising social awareness and promoting volunteer participation.

Project Phases

Awareness Phase – Education and Awareness
The goal of this phase is to raise awareness among students, teachers, parents, and the district community about the environmental impact of electronic waste, the importance of recycling, and the necessity of water conservation.
• Samsung Turkey will organize seminars on sustainable technology and environmental awareness.
• Informative presentations, posters, and short videos will be shared in schools to engage students.
• Awareness weeks will be organized under the slogan “Transform Your Technology, Protect Water.”
By the end of this process, students will understand both the damage e-waste causes to nature and their individual responsibility.

Action Phase – E-Waste Collection Campaign
Students and parents will bring unused electronic devices from their homes to designated school collection points.
• E-Waste Collection Points, which will be set up in each school, will be collected at regular intervals with the support of Kapaklı Municipality.
• Each student’s contribution will be evaluated using a points system; points will be rewarded with badges and titles (“Environmental Ambassador,” “Green Hero,” etc.).
• The amounts of e-waste collected will be digitally recorded, and periodic rankings will be created for each school.
This phase will enable students to translate their environmental awareness into action and encourage active participation across the community.

Production and Activity Phase – Creative Competitions and Social Participation

• Cartoon Competition: Students will express their messages through cartoons on the themes of e-waste and the environment.
• Slogan Competition: Creative slogans will be created around the theme “We Started with Waste, We Protected the Future with a Drop.”
• Mascot Design Contest: An eco-friendly character representing the project will be designed.
• Poster and Painting Contest: Environmental awareness will be raised through visual arts.
• Works exhibited at the events will be shared with the public as part of the E-Waste Art Exhibition.

Reward and Incentive System
Student Awards
• Students will receive titles such as “Environmental Ambassador” and “Green Hero” when they pass certain thresholds, showcasing their achievements throughout the school.
• Students who collect the most e-waste in the district will be rewarded with a “Zero Waste Bag” for their exemplary behavior in environmental awareness and will also have the opportunity to observe the relationship between technology and the environment firsthand with a tour of the Samsung Turkey Factory.
This system enables students to develop an learning culture based on participation and responsibility rather than competition while gaining environmental awareness.
School Awards
• With the revenue generated and sponsorship support, smart faucet systems will be installed in these schools, and infrastructure investments that save water will be made.
• Schools that have previously won this system will be provided with energy-efficient lighting, sensor systems, or environmentally friendly technological equipment, depending on their needs.
This approach creates a competitive model among schools that sets an example for sustainable environmental practices.

Expected Results
Upon completion of the project, lasting and measurable results are expected to be achieved at the environmental, educational, and social levels. The gains will not be limited to short-term awareness but will also contribute to the establishment of a sustainable environmental culture in the district.
Environmental Impacts
• Tons of electronic waste will be prevented from entering the environment throughout the district, significantly reducing environmental pollution.
• The carbon footprint will be reduced by recycling e-waste; natural resource consumption and water pollution will be reduced.
• Thanks to smart faucet systems, annual water consumption in schools will be measurably reduced, and these systems will serve as a model for environmentally friendly infrastructure applications.
• Quantitative data such as the amount of recycled material (kg), prevented CO₂ emissions (kg), and water savings (liters) will be shared with the public in the environmental impact report prepared at the end of the project.
These results demonstrate that the project directly aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of “13. Climate Action” and “12. Responsible Production and Consumption.”

Educational Impacts
• Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between environmental awareness, sustainability, technology, and social responsibility.
• Problem-solving, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration skills will be supported through seminars and competitions.
• Students’ environmental behaviors will be continuously rewarded through a badge system, making behavior-based learning permanent.
• Environmental ambassador groups formed in schools will eventually become environmental clubs, ensuring the project’s continuity.
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Social Impacts
• Parents, teachers, and the local community will actively participate in e-waste collection processes, fostering social environmental awareness.
• Strong coordination between Kapaklı Municipality, the District Governor’s Office, the District National Education Directorate, and Samsung Turkey will create a model public-private partnership that will serve as an example for the district.
• The experience and outputs gained during the project will be presented as a best practice example that can be disseminated to other districts and institutions in the coming years.
• With the adoption of environmentally conscious behaviors in the district, a multi-generational culture of transformation will develop, extending from students to parents.

Slogan
The project’s core message aims to create a movement of awareness that spreads from students to society by combining the themes of environmental awareness, sustainability, and transformation. The slogan emphasizes the positive impact of technological transformation on the environment and how small steps can lead to big results.
Main Slogan:
“We Started with Waste, We Protected the Future with a Drop.”
Alternative Slogans:
• Transform Your Technology, Protect Water
• From E-Waste to Smart Taps
• Children Collect, the Future Breathes