Plastic-Free Bazaar in Çanakkale

    As part of the 2026 European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR), under the theme “Resources Are Not Unlimited!” and the motto “Rethink Your Choices, Take Care of Resources!”, Çanakkale Municipality will carry out the “Plastic-Free Bazaar in Çanakkale” initiative within the framework of the “Refuse, Rethink” approach, aiming to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic bags and promote sustainable consumption habits.

Aynalı Bazaar, one of Çanakkale’s important historical and tourist shopping destinations, has been designated as the pilot implementation area due to the high volume of sales of souvenirs such as magnets, keychains, and similar items, particularly to visitors to the city. During the preparation phase of the initiative, meetings were held with the participation of the manager responsible for Aynalı Bazaar, the Kemalpaşa Neighborhood Headman, and the volunteer Climate Ambassadors Group. These meetings revealed that businesses operating in the bazaar widely use small plastic bags during their sales activities. Accordingly, an initiative was planned for the production and distribution of fabric pouches to provide a reusable alternative to plastic bags.

Within the scope of the project, fabric pouches were designed in cooperation with the staff of Çanakkale Municipality’s Directorate of Climate Change and Zero Waste, the volunteer Climate Ambassadors Group, the instructors, volunteers, and older adults attending the Municipality’s Golden Years Life Center, and the Chamber of Tailors. As a result of this collaborative production process, approximately 600 fabric pouches were sewn and made ready for distribution.

During the European Week for Waste Reduction, the prepared fabric pouches are planned to be distributed to shopkeepers operating in Aynalı Bazaar and used by businesses instead of single-use plastic bags when selling souvenirs. In this way, the initiative aims to reduce the amount of plastic waste generated during shopping, integrate reusable products into daily commercial activities, and raise awareness among both shopkeepers and domestic and international visitors about environmentally friendly consumption habits.

The initiative, carried out under the motto “Plastic-Free Bazaar in Çanakkale”, aims not only to reduce the use of plastic bags in Aynalı Bazaar but also to strengthen cooperation among the local government, professional chambers, Climate Ambassadors, volunteers, shopkeepers, and city residents of different age groups. In particular, the active participation of older adults in the production process contributes to strengthening intergenerational solidarity and raising awareness of environmental responsibility.

The pilot initiative to be launched in Aynalı Bazaar is intended to be expanded to other commercial areas of the city in the future, based on the experience gained, and to develop into a sustainable implementation model aimed at reducing single-use plastic bag consumption throughout Çanakkale. In this regard, the initiative is directly aligned with the 2026 theme of the European Week for Waste Reduction by promoting the conservation of natural resources, the prevention of waste generation at source, the avoidance of plastics, and a culture of rethinking consumption choices and using alternative environmentally friendly products.