In order to draw attention to the importance of recycling on “Global Recycling Day”, IMU Sustainability Student Club (IMUSUS) organized a 3-stage recycling workshop on March 18, 2025 at the Sustainability Office, open to the participation of Istanbul Medeniyet University students, staff and the public, including DIY Calendar Base Workshop, DIY Seeded Paper Workshop and DIY Calendar Workshop. The workshops, hosted by the Sustainability Office, were open to the participation of Istanbul Medeniyet University students, staff and the public.
The workshops attended by 12 people started with the “DIY – Calendar Base Workshop” focusing on the recycling of disposable plastic bottles within our institution. In the workshop led by Furkan ERUÇAR, research assistant at the Sustainability Office, the participants recycled disposable plastic water bottles that become waste after use in our institution. During the workshop, ERUÇAR first gave information about the recycling and upcycling possibilities and methods of plastic bottles. Following the briefing, the workshop moved on to the practice phase. He explained to the participants about the PETMachine established in partnership with TylmanDesign and the working principles of the machine. Following the technical briefing, the participants first transformed the waste PET bottles collected from the campus area into PET filaments with the help of the PETMachine. These filaments were then used in product manufacturing. At this stage, the participants produced calendar bases specially designed for their own names through 3D printing methods. With the calendar base workshop, 700 grams of plastic was recycled and plastic waste was reduced.
The workshop program continued with the “DIY – Seeded Paper Workshop” focusing on the recycling of institutional paper waste. In the workshop led by Sıla Selin ÖZKAN, board member of IMU Sustainability Student Club, the participants were firstly informed about the history of paper, the materials used in paper making and the materials and techniques used in paper making with traditional methods in Turkey. ÖZKAN, who also gave information about IMUSUS’s institutional waste recycling project, gave technical information to the participants on how to recycle waste paper. In the application phase of the workshop; waste papers that were collected and separated within the campus areas of our university were recycled and turned into new seeded papers. In the traditional paper production workshop, pulp was first prepared from the shredded paper. IMUSUS, aiming to ensure that the paper to be used to produce calendars does not become waste after use, added wildflower seeds to the pulp so that the calendar paper of each month becomes compost after use and wildflowers flourish in this process. Wildflower seeds collected by community members in BioBlitz workshops were used to produce the seeded papers. Thus, it was aimed that the calendars to be produced would contribute to biodiversity when their intended use is completed. Within the scope of the workshop, 500 grams of waste paper was recycled.
Finally, in the “DIY Calendar Workshop”, participants designed their own personalized calendars by combining recycled materials with the materials they produce. In the workshop led by Ayça ÇELİKBİLEK, research assistant at the Sustainability Office, participants produced their own personalized calendars. First of all, the participants printed monthly calendars on recycled seeded paper. At the printing stage, printing molds produced by the club by recycling PET materials were used. Afterwards, participants decorated their calendars with flowers collected and dried in BioBlitz workshops. At this stage, ÇELİKBİLEK informed the participants about each flower used in both decorations and seed paper production and the process of getting seeds. Afterwards, the participants decorated and personalized the calendars they made with dried flowers, drawings and prints according to their own tastes. The production of the calendars was completed by placing the prepared calendar cards under the calendars produced in the previous workshop.
During the workshop, a total of 1.2 kg of waste was recycled and brought into the circular economy. The workshop contributed to the zero waste policy on campus and minimized resource consumption.
Stating that they plan to continue the workshops focused on recycling and upcycling with different material types and concepts, the project team informed that those interested can follow the details of the events and workshops to be organized on @surdurulebilir_imu instagram account.
