Emrah Alkaya

Recovery of acids from anaerobic acidification broth by liquid-liquid extraction.

In this study, anaerobic acidification of sugar beet processing wastes and subsequent liquid-liquid extraction of produced fermentation metabolites were investigated. The aim of extraction experiments was to asses the influence of pH and extractant (trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) in kerosene) concentrations on the recovery of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) from fermentation broth. The effect of TOPO in kerosene concentration was as crucial as the effect of pH on the recovery of VFAs via extraction. Consequently, pH 2.5 was determined as optimum. At this pH, percent recoveries of VFAs were changed from 43% to 98%, depending on the type of the acid extracted (acetic, butyric, propionic and valeric acids) and the concentration of TOPO in kerosene (5-20%). As the concentration of TOPO in kerosene was increased, efficiency of extraction was increased. As a result, highest VFA recoveries (61-98%) were observed at 20% TOPO in kerosene with distribution ratio values ranging between 1.54 and 40.79. At pH 2.5, the increase in TOPO concentration directly increased the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies, as it does for total VFA recovery. Up to 72% COD removals were achieved, at 20% TOPO in kerosene at pH 2.5, while the removal efficiencies remained between 19% and 22% at pH 5.5.

A comparative analysis of Turkish and European Union environmental legislation regarding cleaner (sustainable) production concept

The term cleaner (sustainable) production has been cited in many policy and strategy documents of the top level agency/institutions on science, technology, development, etc., in Turkey for over a decade. However, it is not sufficiently known and applied except its energy efficiency aspect in Turkey. So as to overcome this deficiency, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry supported the project ‘Determination of the Framework Conditions and Research-Development Needs for the Dissemination of Cleaner (Sustainable) Production Applications in Turkey’ which was carried out in 2009 by TTGV and Goksel N. Demirer, as the consultant. This paper summarises this analysis which was one of the outcomes of this project.

Determination of the framework conditions and research–development needs for the dissemination of cleaner (sustainable) production applications in Turkey

The term cleaner production has been used in policy and strategy documents of top agencies/institutions on science, technology and development in Turkey for over 10 years. However, cleaner production is not sufficiently understood and applied, except in terms of energy efficiency. To overcome this deficiency, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry supported a project ‘Determination of the Framework Conditions and Research–Development Needs for the Dissemination of Cleaner (Sustainable) Production Applications in Turkey’, which was carried out in 2009 by the Technology Development Foundation of Turkey (TTGV) with Goksel Demirer as consultant. The objective was to determine national capacity, assess Turkish regulations in terms of cleaner (sustainable) production (C(S)P) and compare it with related European Union (EU) regulations, report existing incentive mechanisms, perform a sectoral analysis to determine high-priority sectors for C(S)P implementation, determine the research and development and other needs and provide recommendations. The project used a participatory approach. Sixty-six and thirty-seven stakeholder institutions contributed to the determination of existing institutional capacity and sectoral priorities regarding C(S)P, respectively, through questionnaires. Moreover, 125 participants from 62 stakeholder institutions participated in the project workshop in which the draft report of the project was finalised with feedback from the participants. This paper communicates the main outcomes of the project.

Sectoral assessment of the Turkish textile industry for the diffusion of sustainable production approach

The major objective of this study was to conduct a sectoral assessment for the textile industry and develop recommendations in order to successfully diffuse sustainable production approach within this sector in Turkey. Three scale analyses (micro, meso, and macro) were conducted by means of survey studies taking into account (i) the textile producer firms’ capacities and awareness, (ii) standards and demands of retailer companies as well as (iii) the existing institutional framework, strategies, supports, and incentives. Survey study covered 76 textile producer firms, 10 retailer companies (e.g. multinational corporations), and 17 institutions. The results of survey studies indicate that sustainable production approach is not adapted in the majority of the producer firms. Meanwhile, retailer companies have recently started to focus on the supply management issues putting stress on sustainable production approaches as integral parts of their corporate social responsibility policies. Moreover, there is a considerable movement and institutional intention in public and other relevant institutions in relation to the development of activities in line with the sustainable production approach. To the best of authors’ knowledge, this study is the first ever activity in Turkey on sustainable production with a sector-specific dimension.