In line with the Zero Waste Regulation, Ziraat Bank carries out comprehensive and qualified studies to separate and recycle the waste generated as a result of its activities.
Zero Waste Management
In accordance with the “Zero Waste Regulation” dated 12 July 2019, all service buildings at Ziraat Bank throughout the country were defined as separate “Facilities” in the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change’s Integrated Environmental Information System. “Facility Information Forms” containing information pertaining to the Bank’s service buildings and designated “Facility Managers” were submitted to the relevant Provincial Environmental Directorates.
Within this scope, “Zero Waste Certificates” were applied for a total of 1,820 service buildings defined as “Facilities” in the system nationwide, and “Certificates” were obtained for 1,476 service buildings in 77 provinces. The certificate applications for the remaining 344 service buildings in four provinces will reportedly be approved by the relevant Provincial Environmental Directorates upon completion of the additional criteria requested.
Uniform waste bins required for the zero waste application have been procured and sent to all units and branches in accordance with their floor numbers and usage areas. With this practice, a total of 37 tonnes of recyclable waste has been delivered and entered the system through the units and branches during 2023.
The training presentation on “Zero Waste” prepared by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change was assigned to relevant personnel through the Bank’s training portal, ensuring completion within the specified timeframe.
Paper Savings through Recycling
The consumption of A4 photocopy paper by all units and branches of Ziraat Bank amounted to 213,000 packs in 2023, representing a decrease of 35,000 packs (14.11%) compared to the previous year. All paper procured during the year was produced from 100% recycled material.
Ziraat Bank’s consumption of A4 paper by year is shown in the table below.
Years |
Consumption (packages) |
Change (%) |
2019 |
396,000 |
|
2020 |
282,000 |
-28.79 |
2021 |
243,000 |
-13.83 |
2022 |
248,000 |
2.06 |
2023 |
213,000 |
-14.11 |
Ziraat Bank sells expired documents and waste paper stored in unit and branch archives to authorized recycling companies for recycling. Approximately 853 tonnes of waste paper were recycled in 2023 as part of this process.
As a result of the digital transformation efforts undertaken by Ziraat Bank, the physical sending of documents and reports prepared by the Inspection Board from Bank units and document archiving has been discontinued. The transfer of audit and investigation reports to the system, along with the implementation of e-signatures and virtual archiving, resulted in a saving of 34,000 sheets of A4.
Likewise, within the scope of Branch Operations, a total of 2.1 million pages of paper savings were achieved between 3 October and 13 December, with mobile approval in the real customer identification process doing away with the need for 450,000 sheets of paper and SMS approval doing away with the need for approximately 1.6 million sheets of paper within a very short period.
Additionally, throughout the year, approximately 336,000 letters were sent via the Correspondence application with digital signatures and Registered Electronic Mail, preventing the consumption of approximately 1.7 million pages.
Other waste
Faulty IT equipment found in Ziraat Bank’s units and branches is collected at the Bank’s service centers and repaired and refurbished for reuse. Waste IT materials, such as system cabinets, air conditioners, batteries, and scrap ATM machines, are sold to companies licensed by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change for transportation and processing. This prevents environmental damage caused by waste and ensures their recycling as raw materials. In this context, approximately 72 tonnes of waste materials were recycled in 2023.
In the design of the Istanbul Finance Center Ziraat Towers, waste collection areas and solid waste temporary storage areas were integrated for the separate collection of recyclable solid waste. Construction waste was monitored throughout the construction activities and sent to recycling facilities on a monthly basis.
