A zero waste certificate (sıfır atık belgesi) is issued to organisations in Türkiye that separate their waste by type at source and keep records of it, through an online system run by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change. Under the Zero Waste Regulation, applications are filed through the Zero Waste Information System, the provincial directorate reviews them within 30 calendar days, and the certificate is valid for 5 years.
The certificate is issued at four levels: basic, silver, gold and platinum. A basic certificate is mandatory for the places listed in Annex 1 of the regulation, such as business centres, shopping malls, organised industrial zones, hotels, healthcare and education institutions and certain industrial facilities above set thresholds. Other companies can apply voluntarily.
In short:
- Build the system first, then apply: the certificate is proof of a zero waste management system that is set up and running.
- The application is made online by uploading the written and visual documents the system asks for.
- After certification, monthly reporting and change notifications continue; otherwise the certificate can be cancelled.
Who must obtain a zero waste certificate?
Under Article 16 of the regulation, places listed in Annex 1 must obtain a basic-level certificate. For buildings and campuses, Annex 1 sets out a timetable in four groups; the deadline for the last group was 31 December 2022, so the timetable has now fully run. The list includes, for example:
- business centres and office towers with 100 or more offices or 100 or more employees, and, in the last group, those with fewer than 100 employees,
- organised industrial zones, airports, ports, free zones and small industrial estates,
- industrial facilities listed in Annex 1 and Annex 2 of Türkiye's Environmental Impact Assessment (ÇED) Regulation,
- accommodation businesses, healthcare facilities, schools and dormitories,
- chain supermarkets, cargo companies, and law firms, laboratories and similar legal entities with more than 50 employees.
A place that falls into more than one group must follow the earliest deadline. Places that start operating after the timetable must move to the system within one year of starting operations. The regulation also requires a level above basic (silver, gold or platinum) for provincial municipalities, organised industrial zones, shopping malls, airports, ports, hotels with 250 or more rooms, chain supermarkets and universities.
One important limit: process waste from industrial production, other than waste similar to household waste, is not assessed under the zero waste certificate until the Ministry sets criteria for it. The certificate covers waste from a company's offices, canteens and similar areas.
How is a zero waste management system set up?
Article 13 of the regulation and the Ministry's set-up page for workplaces describe the same four steps:
- Working team: a responsible person or team is appointed to follow the process from set-up to monitoring.
- Planning: the source, type and quantity of all waste, collection and transport methods, temporary storage area and delivery points are mapped; then equipment and storage needs are defined.
- Training and roll-out: equipment is placed, staff are trained, waste is collected by type in a temporary storage area and sent to licensed facilities.
- Monitoring and records: the system is monitored regularly, problems are corrected and quantities sent for recovery are recorded.
The basic criteria for buildings and campuses in Annex 3/B can be summarised as: separating paper, glass, metal and plastic from other waste; separating waste batteries, used cooking oil and electronic waste; managing hazardous and medical waste under their own rules; separating biodegradable waste where it is concentrated, such as kitchens and tea rooms; colour-coded equipment of sufficient size; a temporary storage area; staff training; and holding the required environmental permits.
The colour code is defined in the regulation. If recyclables are collected together, blue is used, with dark grey for other waste. When separated by material, paper is blue, plastic yellow, glass green, metal light grey and biodegradable waste brown.
How do you apply for a zero waste certificate?
Under Article 17, the basic-level application works as follows:
- The application is made through the Zero Waste Information System; the written and visual documents requested about the system are uploaded.
- The provincial directorate reviews it within 30 calendar days and may carry out an on-site inspection.
- Any gaps are notified to the applicant and must be completed within 30 calendar days of notification; otherwise the application is rejected.
- Places that meet the Annex 3 criteria receive a basic-level certificate.
A practical note on access: as of 12 November 2026, the Ministry's former Integrated Environmental Information System (EÇBS) address redirects to the login page of the National Environmental Information System (UÇBS), where individuals log in through e-Devlet, Türkiye's e-government gateway. For the current location of the application screen and the required documents, the Ministry's own announcements should be followed.
The regulation also states that organisations may obtain support from environmental consultancies authorised by the Ministry to set up the system; this is optional.
What is required after certification?
The certificate is not a one-off document. Under the regulation:
- Monthly data on collected waste is reported through the system by the 15th of the following month; data checks for the previous year are completed by the end of March each year.
- Any change in the information behind the certificate or in practice must be reported within 30 calendar days; otherwise the certificate is cancelled.
- Certified places are inspected by the provincial directorate at least once during the validity period. If non-compliance is found, a 90-day improvement period is given; without sufficient improvement the certificate is cancelled.
- Places obliged to hold a certificate apply for renewal three months before it expires.
What do silver, gold and platinum certificates require?
Higher levels can be applied for after 24 months of holding the basic certificate. Under Annex 4, scoring takes into account the reduction in waste sent for disposal, and this reduction cannot be less than 15% for a higher-level certificate. Detailed scoring by level is set by the Ministry. Platinum holders also submit a zero waste sustainability report by the end of the second year after certification and update it every two years.
Conclusion: where should companies start?
A zero waste certificate is the result of a system that is built and operated; it does not start with filling in a form. A practical first step is to measure existing waste types and quantities for a few weeks, give responsibility to one team and build monthly reporting into a workflow from day one. That way, post-certification reporting and inspection do not become a separate burden. For the wider context, see what is a circular economy.
"Zero Waste and Waste Management" is part of Orient Global's corporate training catalogue; details are on the sustainability page.
This article is for general information only and is not legal advice; the current text of the regulation and the Ministry's announcements prevail.
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