Turkey Launches DOA Deposit Return System: Starting July 1, 2026 Nationwide, Including Alanya

From July 1, 2026, Turkey will officially roll out the nationwide “Depozitosu Olan Ambalajlar” (DOA) deposit return system for single-use packaging. This is a key part of the country’s “Zero Waste” (Sıfır Atık) initiative led by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change and TÜÇA.

How the DOA System Works Across Turkey

• Plastic, glass, and aluminum bottles and cans (0.1–3 liters) for beverages will carry a special DOA logo.
• When you buy a product, you pay a small deposit.
• After use, you can return the empty container at designated collection points or reverse vending machines (DİM — Depozito İade Makinesi).
• The deposit is instantly refunded to your digital wallet via the DOA mobile app.
• You can use the money to:
  • Transfer to your bank account
  • Withdraw from an ATM
  • Spend on purchases (including special discounts and offers in the app)

Collection points will be available in supermarkets, shops, cafés, restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, airports, and hospitals. Large retail chains must install automatic machines, while smaller businesses will receive free equipment from system operators.

National Goals:

• Recycle approximately 25 billion packages per year.
• Generate around 30 billion Turkish lira for the economy annually.
• Significantly reduce litter on streets, beaches, and in nature.
• Create a new consumption culture: “Don’t throw it away — return it.”

Specifics for Alanya

In Alanya, the system will operate exactly according to the national rules. As a major tourist destination with thousands of hotels, restaurants, and cafés (HORECA sector), Alanya is receiving special focus.

• Hotels and restaurants will collect bottles and cans from guests and return them directly to operators. This adds a new procedure but will greatly help reduce beach and street litter.
• Supermarkets (Migros, Carrefour, A101, etc.) will install DİM reverse vending machines.
• Both residents and tourists will be able to earn money by returning packaging while helping keep the city and beaches cleaner.

Local Alanya media are actively covering the topic:

• They highlight the ecological benefits and the extra income opportunity for locals.
• They emphasize that the system is especially important for a tourist region to fight beach and urban waste.

What You Need to Do Right Now

1. For businesses (hotels, shops, cafés in Alanya): Register before July 1 in the Depozito Bilgi Yönetim Sistemi (DBYS) at dbys.gov.tr and choose an operator.
2. For residents and tourists: Download the DOA app (will be available soon on Google Play and App Store). The app will show the nearest collection points.

Official website: doa.gov.tr

The system was already piloted in some regions (starting with Sakarya), and from July 1 it goes fully live across the entire country, including the Antalya region and Alanya. This is one of Turkey’s largest environmental projects in recent years.

Would you like more details on specific machine locations in Alanya closer to the launch, instructions for the app, or how this will affect tourism? Just let me know — I’ll update the information!