The project Go Zero - Zero Waste Management in Food Sector (2020-1-TR01-KA202-093424), which is coordinated by the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change within the scope of the “Erasmus+ EU Programme for Education, Training, Youth and Sport, Key Action 2 - Cooperation Among Organizations and Institutions”, and which, apart from the Istanbul Provincial Directorate, have 8 partner institutions (Governorship of Istanbul, Boğaziçi University, Latvijas Lauksaimniecibas Universitate (Latvia, university), Fondazione Enaip Lombardia (Italy, foundation), Exponential Training & Assessment Limited (United Kingdom, private company), Kauno Maisto Pramones ir Prekybos Mokymo Centras (Lithuania, VET institution), Mancomunidad de la Ribera Alta (Spain, union of municipalities), Media Creativa (Spain, VET institution)), officially started on 31 December 2020, and the first transnational meeting was held, under the Covid-19 measures, on 15-16 December 2021 in Istanbul.

The primary objective of the project, which is predicted to be completed in June 2023, is to improve the waste management skills of employees working in the food industry and vocational high school students who will work in the food industry in the future. In this context, fundamentally, 6 intellectual outputs will be prepared:

• Comprehensive Framework on Waste Management Applications in Europe and A Comparative Report (on Current Legislation)
• Waste Management Skills Defined in Food Sector and the Training Curriculum
• Training Content for Waste Management in Food Sector
• Enriched Educational Materials and E-Learning Platform
• Industrial Symbiosis Guide
• White Paper: Recommendation Paper on Waste Management in Food Sector

Within the scope of the first intellectual output, a desk research by the Boğaziçi University - Sustainable Development and Cleaner Production Center was conducted to present the current situation on the waste management in Turkey and waste management in the food sector. To obtain more detailed information, focus group meetings were organized with the companies and institutions which are active in the sector (Reis Food - Agricultural Products, Grain, Pulses Processing and Packaging Industrial Association (PAKDER) - All Food Importers Association (TÜGİDER) - Turkish Fruit Juice Industry Association (MEYED) - Uludağ Beverage, Anadolu Etap (Fruit and Fruit Juice Company), Tunay Food). The results of these activities were presented in the National Report prepared by the BU-SDCPC team. At later stages, each partner institution will contribute to the project’s outputs by carrying out studies in the food sub-sector that they have selected. We can list the expected impacts of the project as the following:

• Development of zero waste management skills of vocational high school students and employees studying in the field of food sector, gaining awareness on the environmental and financial impacts of zero waste management
• Developing trainers’ skills to provide zero waste management training on the food industry
• Raising awareness of strategies that employers and managers can use to reduce waste
• Promoting an effective zero waste management culture in the food sector in partner countries and developing vocational training curricula
• Gaining insight into waste management practices, policies and systems in the food sector in partner countries

Project Brochure/ENG