Within the scope of the March 30 Zero Waste Day, the launch of the "Zero Waste Zero Loss: Imam Hatip Schools Green Transformation Program," implemented to spread environmental awareness and contribute to building a sustainable future, was held today. ITU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal and ITU Zero Waste Institute Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Börte Köse Mutlu attended the introductory program. Led by the ÖNDER Imam Hatip Alumni Association; this visionary project, initiated in partnership with Istanbul Technical University (ITU), Istanbul Provincial Directorate of National Education, Bağcılar Municipality, and the Zero Waste Foundation, covers all imam hatip middle and high schools in Istanbul. In the upcoming periods, it is also planned to expand the scope of the relevant project to include all schools. The program aims to encourage the environmental and digital transformation of educational institutions and make best practices visible.

The evaluation processes of the project will be conducted using a scientific and data-driven methodology by a special jury consisting of academics within the ITU Zero Waste Institute. The performance of the schools will be examined across three main axes: zero waste and recycling, energy efficiency, and digitalization. Thanks to the model that ITU participated in developing, the most efficient institutions will be identified by evaluating the electricity and water consumption along with the waste data of the schools. While successful schools will be publicly awarded, training and consultancy support will be provided by ITU and partner institutions to the schools that are open to improvement.