Business Waste Management & Zero Waste: Step-by-Step Guide
Who Is This Guide For?
This guide is written for managers and staff who want to understand how waste should be separated in their business, where it should be stored and who it should be handed over to. In plain language, we summarise how a waste management and zero waste system is set up, which documents should be kept ready and the mistakes most often seen in practice. It is aimed particularly at businesses that generate waste on a regular basis, such as hotels, restaurants, production facilities, construction sites, healthcare institutions, schools and offices.
What Are Waste Management and Zero Waste, and Who Do They Concern?
Waste management is the process of reducing the waste generated in a business at source, collecting it separately by type, storing it temporarily under suitable conditions and handing it over to licensed facilities. Zero waste looks one step further back: it is a management approach that aims to prevent waste in the first place, use resources efficiently and recover as much of the waste generated as possible.
The Sıfır Atık Yönetmeliği (Zero Waste Regulation) currently in force requires public institutions and private sector businesses of a certain type and size to set up a zero waste management system. Whether you fall within its scope depends on criteria such as your type of activity, your capacity and your number of employees. Businesses outside its scope are still subject to the general obligations to collect waste separately by type and to hand over special waste through the proper channels.
To see in more detail which obligations apply directly to your business, you can read our article, the Zero Waste Regulation Guide to Business Obligations. The current texts of the regulations are available through the Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (Turkish Legislation Information System).
How to Set Up Waste Management in Your Business, Step by Step
Waste management is set up as a cycle that begins with an assessment of the current situation and continues with regular monitoring. The steps below can be adapted to businesses of different sizes according to their own structure.
1. Assess the current situation
First, identify which types of waste are generated in the business, in which departments and in roughly what quantities. Areas such as the kitchen, production line, maintenance workshop, offices and storerooms are examined one by one. This work reveals both the types of waste and the opportunities to reduce waste at source.
2. Classify your waste
The waste identified is divided into groups such as packaging waste, hazardous waste, non-hazardous waste, organic waste, waste electrical and electronic equipment, waste batteries and waste oil. Each waste stream is assigned the appropriate waste code according to the waste list in the legislation in force. Correct coding is the basis for keeping declarations and delivery records consistent with each other.
3. Assign responsibilities
A person or team is appointed to oversee the system, and the division of duties is put in writing. For businesses within scope, designating a person or unit responsible for the zero waste system is one of the requirements of the regulation.
4. Set up separate collection at source
Collection equipment is placed at the points where waste is generated and in line with the colour codes set out in the regulation; for example, blue bins are used for paper and cardboard, yellow for plastic, green for glass and grey for metal. Each bin should carry a clear label showing which waste goes into it. Hazardous waste should be collected separately and never mixed with other waste.
5. Prepare a temporary storage area
Waste collected separately is kept, until it is handed over, in a temporary storage area that meets the technical requirements of the legislation. This area must be covered, have an impermeable floor, and be divided into sections and labelled by waste type. Additional precautions against leaks should be taken for liquid hazardous waste.
6. Work with licensed companies
Waste is handed over to collection, recovery or disposal facilities licensed by the Ministry. Before handover, check that the company's licence is valid and covers the waste code being delivered. Documentation for every delivery is kept on file in an orderly way.
7. Keep records, submit declarations and continue training
The quantities of waste generated and handed over are recorded regularly; businesses with a declaration obligation report this information through the Ministry's Ulusal Çevre Bilgi Sistemi (UÇBS, National Environmental Information System). Employees are briefed on the separation rules, and training is repeated for new staff. The system is reviewed at regular intervals and improved.
Documents to Prepare and Checklist
For a well-run waste management system, the following documents and records should be kept ready and up to date. In the event of an inspection, these records are the key evidence that the system actually works on site.
A waste inventory showing the types and codes of waste generated in the business and the departments where they arise
The letter of appointment for the zero waste officer or team
A simple layout plan showing where collection equipment is located
Photographs of the temporary storage area and its labelling arrangement
Current licences of the licensed companies you have agreements with
Delivery documents, invoices and transport records for every handover
Periodic records of waste quantities
Where applicable, the waste management plan and printouts of declarations submitted to UÇBS
Attendance lists and content of employee training sessions
Where applicable, the zero waste certificate application and related correspondence
Common Mistakes and Points to Watch
In practice, many problems stem not from a lack of knowledge of the legislation but from the system not being followed up over time once it has been set up. The following are situations frequently encountered in the field:
Mixing hazardous waste: Putting items such as paint tins, oily rags, fluorescent lamps or chemical packaging in the same bin as other waste may mean the entire mixture has to be managed as hazardous waste.
Skipping the licence check: The licence of the company collecting the waste may have expired or may not cover the relevant waste code. In that case, responsibility remains with the business as the waste producer.
Inconsistent records: A mismatch between the quantities declared and those shown on delivery documents raises a question that is hard to explain during an inspection.
Poorly placed bins: If equipment is far from where waste is generated, employees can easily give up on separating it.
One-off training: In businesses with high staff turnover, the rules are quickly forgotten; training needs to be refreshed at regular intervals.
Using the temporary storage area for other purposes: When the area fills up with unused items and materials, it becomes harder to keep waste separate and secure.
Setting up the system only for the paperwork: A system that exists on paper but is not applied on site is of no use either in an inspection or in controlling costs.
Notes for Businesses in Antalya
In Antalya, the structure of the region's economy means that waste management calls for planning that takes seasonal fluctuations into account. During the tourist season, the amount of organic waste, packaging waste and used cooking oil rises noticeably in hotels and restaurants; collection frequency and storage capacity should be planned for this period. Training seasonal staff at the start of the season helps maintain the quality of waste separation.
Agricultural and greenhouse businesses should pay particular attention to waste such as pesticide packaging and greenhouse film; empty pesticide containers are managed separately as hazardous waste. For production facilities in industrial zones, hazardous waste, waste oils and packaging waste are especially important. In construction and renovation work, excavation soil and construction waste are managed within the framework of the relevant legislation and the rules set by municipalities.
Businesses that would like support throughout the process can plan every step together with us, from preparing an inventory to training employees, as part of our waste management service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a zero waste certificate mandatory?
For businesses within the scope of the regulation, setting up a zero waste management system is mandatory, and the existence of this system is demonstrated through the certification process. Scope is determined by criteria such as type of activity and size of business. If you are unsure, the soundest approach is to assess your business's situation against the current legislation.
Can't I just give my waste to the municipality?
Household-type waste is generally handed over to the municipality's collection system. However, waste that requires special management, such as hazardous waste, waste oils and waste electronic equipment, must be handed over through licensed companies. For packaging waste, you should also follow the system of the municipality or the licensed collectors it has authorised.
Does a small office or shop need waste management?
Even if you fall outside the scope of the zero waste regulation, collecting waste separately and handing over special waste through the proper channels is a general obligation. In small businesses, the system is simpler to set up. A few colour-coded bins, a separate box for waste batteries and toner, and a regular record of handovers may be enough to get started.
Where are waste declarations made?
Businesses with a declaration obligation report their waste information through the Ministry's Ulusal Çevre Bilgi Sistemi (UÇBS, National Environmental Information System). Declaration periods and which businesses must submit declarations are determined by the legislation in force. It is important that declarations are consistent with delivery documents and internal records.
Contact Us
To review your business's waste management and zero waste processes together, you can get in touch with Asel Çevre Danışmanlık.
Written by Uğraş Taylan Sevinç, Environmental Engineer, Asel Çevre Danışmanlık.
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