With a cohesive vision for embedding an environmentally-conscious approach into all facets of NEU campus, Near East University has rolled up its sleeves to realize the “Green Campus” project, which supports recycling, fosters popularization of cycling as an environmentally-friendly form of transports and has a pledge dedicated to going green with a focus on raising awareness required to reduce, minimize or eliminate hazards upon environment.
According to the press release issued by the Directorate of Press and Public Relations Office of Near East University, the Green Campus project, which aims to raise awareness on environmental issues, will be first initiated at Near East Pre-School and Primary School to encourage children to make their schools more eco-friendly and help them to develop a greater understanding of their impact on the environment around them. The project has been designed so as to cover all facets of NEU campus gradually.
Within the scope of the Project, the recycling and reuse of all plastic jugs and bottles and other plastic materials that used within the campus will be ensured by converting the waste plastic materials into reusable objects to prevent pollution and reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials. To raise greater awareness on environment as well as to learn environment by experiencing are the basic goals of the project.
Recycling waste plastic bottles is the starting point of the Project….
Since a good waste management requires an ongoing iterative approach, the project aims at creating awareness concerning the issue. Recycling is one of the most important measures to prevent the environment from the potentially hazardous effects of waste. In this context, activities regarding recycling of waste plastic bottles will be initiated as the first step at Near East Primary School and Near East Pre-School. Thus, more than a thousand waste plastic bottles will be collected daily for recycling and reusing purpose instead of disposing them into the landfill. As the students will actively take part in the project, they will be able to develop a greater environmentally-conscious approach. Thus, having been brought up in such an eco-friendly environment, they will be more sensitive and conservative for environment and public health in the future.
Hasan Yükselen: “Not only will we bring up a conscious youth, but also provide contribution to the economy and environment”
Touching upon the significance of determining primary school as the starting point of project application, NEU Primary School Headmaster Hasan Yükselen expressed his views regarding the issue: “Since the effectiveness of environmental protection projects is closely related to creating awareness in early ages, it is a good decision to initiate “Green Campus” project at NEU Primary School and NEU Pre-School. Curricular and extra-curricular activities undertaken to develop environmental awareness in early ages are very important. Being aware of the crucial role of the interaction between human and the environment and the causes of environmental problems, Near East University attaches special importance on cultivating eco-friendly individuals that capable to provide contribution to environment and generate sustainable solutions. To this end, Near East University has put the wheels into motion to bring the “Green Campus” project into effect in order to bring up today’s children as tomorrow’s adults with environmental awareness as attitudes gained during pre-school and primary school will bring about the desired results in the future. In this context, the outcomes of the project will definitely provide contribution not only to the environment, but also to the society. Although recycling is well known for its environmental benefits, it also has a great economical aspect. Taking this aspect into account, we can say that recycling awareness not only provides contribution to environment, but also boots the economical development of societies” said he.
Project will be supported with seminars….
In order to provide students with opportunity to learn the importance of environment by experiencing, specialist from the Department of Landscape Architecture of Near East University Faculty of Architecture will organize seminars on “Environment, Importance of Environment and Recycling” within the scope of the project.