çöp(m)adam
Ayvalik, Türkiye
Impact
çöp(m)adam offers regular work to 10 women in Ayvalik, with all members working in a healthy and hygienic environment in the shop or at home, and being paid a fair wage. With guaranteed regular employment, members of this social enterprise are able to make significant contributions when it comes to providing sustainability for their families and communities.
Critical Need
çöp(m)adam started as an experimental project in Western Turkey addressing the issues of women’s employment and the importance of recycling/re-using. It aims to utilize waste in a creative, aesthetic, and unique way. A group of Turkish women have created one-of a kind accessories using waste materials that puts glamour into recycled goods. “çöp” means “garbage” in Turkish; “madam”, the same as the French word for “female”. “çöp(m)adam” (Literally “garbage ladies”) is symbolic of this meaning – taking garbage and turning it into something fashionable and fun.
Our Involvement
Planeterra worked with çöp(m)adam to connect the social enterprise to a customer market, helping them to expand their customer base and benefit more women working in impoverished communities in Turkey. When travellers visit the workshop during a trip to Turkey, and purchase their products, they are directly supporting the women that made them.
Planeterra helped ensure guaranteed revenue streams by having G Adventures’ purchase a tote bag for every traveller that visits, supporting the growth of the enterprise and promoting plastic reduction for travellers.
