The “Transformation Workshops” organized in collaboration between Istanbul Medeniyet University and Maltepe Municipality with the aim of promoting sustainable production and consumption habits, reducing waste generation, and engaging individuals as part of the solution, are continuing.
As part of the “Transformation Workshops” social responsibility project, carried out in collaboration between the Istanbul Medeniyet University Sustainability Office and the Maltepe Municipality, practical activities aimed at reusing various types of waste continued. During the workshop held on Friday, May 22, at the Maltepe Feyzullah Neighborhood House, participants focused on the upcycling of these materials by combining textile scraps and waste materials with creative production processes.
The sixth week of the “Transformation Workshops” social responsibility project focused on textile waste. During the theoretical portion of the workshop, Ayça ÇELİKBİLEK, a research assistant at the IMU Sustainability Office, emphasized that large amounts of textile waste are generated in settings where textile production takes place, such as sewing workshops, factories, and tailors’ shops. ÇELİKBİLEK also drew attention to the environmental issues caused by textile waste on a global scale, stressing that with the rise in fast-fashion consumption habits, textile waste has become a significant environmental burden, and the pressure on water consumption, carbon emissions, and waste disposal sites is increasing day by day. ÇELİKBİLEK informed participants that sturdy, unused clothing from households can be donated through clothing donation bins for reuse, while noting that various upcycling applications exist for unusable scraps such as torn or small fabric pieces. Highlighting the importance of simple and accessible practices for reducing the amount of textile-related waste generated in daily life, ÇELİKBİLEK provided participants with information about these practices.
During the practical part of the event, participants created colorful panels by combining leftover satin fabric from Motif Kostüm’s, one of the participants, workshop with waste styrofoam insulation material from construction sites in Maltepe. A painting previously created by the Sustainability Office using the same technique was shown as an example, and the steps of the process were explained in detail to the participants. In this way, fabric scraps too small to be used in product manufacturing and styrofoam materials—which are technically recyclable but had low value—were reevaluated, upcycled, and reintroduced into the production process within the framework of a circular economy approach. Each participant took home the product they created at the end of the workshop.
Through this hands-on activity, participants not only engaged in creative production processes but also gained awareness regarding recycling, upcycling, resource efficiency, and resource management. The workshop contributed to the promotion of a sustainable production mindset through the revaluation of different materials, while also introducing participants to eco-friendly practices they can apply in their daily lives. The event also helped participants develop green skills related to production, design, and revaluation processes.
These collaborative efforts between the Istanbul Medeniyet University Sustainability Office and Maltepe Municipality contribute to strengthening community-based environmental awareness while also supporting the spread of a culture of sustainable living. Workshops that involve different age groups in production processes demonstrate, through creative applications, that waste reduction, upcycling, and eco-friendly production practices can become an integral part of daily life. The events held contribute to reaching broader audiences with sustainability-focused initiatives through inter-institutional collaboration.
Information about the project’s upcoming workshops is available via the Sustainability Office’s social media account.
