By Erdal Celikel
ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's largest integrated facility for recycling automobile tires to meet local industrial demand will be established in the capital Ankara.
The facility, run by Turkish tire, car battery, and wheel rim company AKO Group, will reduce the country's external dependence of strategic sectors, Erkal Ozurun, AKO's marketing manager, told Anadolu Agency.
"Turkey's industrial sector imports 11,000 tons of recycled rubber derivatives annually, and the facility is expected to reduce Turkey's current deficit by around $16 million," he added.
The facility will also contribute to Turkey's zero-waste project, which aims to reduce the volume of garbage not recycled.
"The facility will able to recycle construction equipment and all materials from truck tires, including steel parts," he added.
The facility will transform one-fourth of the 350,000 tons of waste tires generated annually in Turkey into quality raw materials.
These raw materials will be used in sectors such as automotive parts, shoes, and conveyor production.
The facility, which is planned to open in 2020, will span over 100,000 square meters (1,076,000 square feet), most of that area enclosed.