17.07.2026 16:11
With the Deposit Management System (DOA) starting on July 1, citizens who receive 1 TL incentive per plastic bottle have turned to machines, while street collectors' daily earnings dropped from 1000 TL to 600 TL. Collectors had to turn to cardboard and plastic.
With the Deposit Management System (DOA), which came into effect on July 1 in Turkey, citizens in Istanbul are showing great interest. Citizens who throw plastic bottles into the machine instead of the trash and receive a 1 TL incentive payment express their satisfaction with the application, while the intense interest in the system surprised paper collectors. Paper collectors, who stated that they can no longer collect in five days the amount of bottles they used to collect in one hour, have shifted their route to cardboard and nylon.
PAPER COLLECTORS CANNOT FIND PET BOTTLES The Deposit Management System (DOA), which officially started on July 1 across Turkey to prevent environmental pollution and promote recycling, quickly sparked significant activity. Citizens throwing plastic bottles and packaging into machines and receiving a 1 TL incentive payment per bottle brought interest in the system to a peak. However, this successful step for the environment and economy has led to a mandatory change in the business models of recycling workers who have made a living collecting paper and plastic on the streets for years.
Collectors, who now struggle to find plastic bottles on the streets, have begun focusing on cardboard, nylon, and other recyclable materials to sustain their livelihoods.
"OUR DAILY EARNINGS HAVE DROPPED" Sefer, a recycling worker who has made a living from waste collected on the streets for years, stated that they have experienced a change with the new system, saying, "This application has greatly affected our work. Previously, when we entered a trash bin, we could find at least 15 plastic bottles. After the DOA application, finding a plastic bottle has become almost impossible. We were actually helping municipalities and the environment; we prevented containers from overflowing. Now, due to this new situation, we have been forced to automatically turn to different jobs. Actually, we were doing the same sorting the machine does ourselves with our own means and collecting it weekly. Since we collect cardboard, plastic, and nylon separately, we should also be given a place in this system. We don't covet anyone's bread, but we are at a loss. Because we cannot collect plastic bottles, our daily earnings have dropped from 1000 TL to 600 TL. Before, we had agreements with buildings; they would collect bottles and give them to us, and we would buy cleaning supplies or give money in return. Now that process has completely stopped."
"WE CAN NO LONGER FIND IN FIVE DAYS WHAT WE COLLECTED IN ONE HOUR" Another street collector, Hasan, stated that finding plastic bottles has become nearly impossible, saying, "Under normal circumstances, we could collect a wheelbarrow full of plastic bottles in just one hour. Now, we have roamed the streets for five days but couldn't gather that many bottles. No plastic bottles are appearing on the streets; we can't find them. Citizens are rightfully taking them to the machines themselves, and this situation has made our work very difficult."
With the success of the DOA application, the rate of plastic packaging on the streets has dropped to a minimum, directing recycling workers to alternative areas. To compensate for the shortage of plastic bottles, they now spend all their working hours on cardboard, nylon, and other paper-based waste.