Black Sea ingenuity turns tea waste into 'gold': It's being snapped up for export!

Turkey is one of the world's leading countries in tea production. The fresh tea produced in our country's Black Sea region contributes significantly to the national economy, both in the domestic market and in international export markets. Tea waste, in particular—a byproduct of the primary livelihood of Rize—is currently worth its weight in gold for the international market.

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Black Sea ingenuity turns tea waste into 'gold': It's being snapped up for export!

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A tea production factory in Rize has developed an ingenious recycling solution instead of throwing tea waste into the trash.

FROM WASTE TO CHARCOAL, SNAPPED UP ABROAD

At the factory where tea production continues, tea waste is completely transformed into charcoal. These products are, figuratively speaking, being snapped up for sale abroad.

The new charcoal factory established by the Rize Municipality in the Organized Industrial Zone is providing a major environmental and economic transformation by bringing tea waste back into the economy.

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Tea waste, which is a byproduct of tea production, is recycled and turned into charcoal. At the same time, liquid organic fertilizer is obtained from the tea waste, and methane gas is converted into energy.

ONE HUNDRED PERCENT RECYCLING

The factory uses the discarded portion of the tea. In the first stage, the tea waste is turned into pellets, and these pellets combine with carbon to transform into charcoal.

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Additionally, the liquid produced during the processing of tea waste is used as organic fertilizer.

The most remarkable aspect is that the methane gas released during these processes is used for energy production at the factory. In this way, 100 percent of the tea waste is recovered.

EXPORTED ABROAD

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Emphasizing that a large portion of production is powered by solar energy, employees noted that 620 KW of electricity is generated annually thanks to the solar panels located on the factory roof.

DEMAND IS INCREASING

At the same time, the demand for the charcoal produced by the factory is steadily increasing.

This natural charcoal produced from tea waste stands out as an alternative and is being sold to Germany and Georgia.