Opet's Clean Toilet Campaign Left Behind Its 15th Year

OPET reminds the importance of hygiene with an advertisement film on World Toilet Day

Creating difference in its sector with its long-term social responsibility project, OPET completed 15 years in the Clean Toilet Campaign. During this time, covering 6.5 million kilometers (4 million miles) of road, OPET education team provided cleaning and hygiene education to more than 8 million people. With the Campaign, creating a radical change in toilet hygiene, and undertaking the responsibility of raising public awareness, OPET brings the issue on the agenda again with its TV commercial on World Toilet Day.

Having left behind 15 years and carried the success of the campaign abroad, OPET repeats the importance of the subject by a TV commercial on November 19th, World Toilet Day. In the film about Clean Toilet Campaign, which will be broadcast specially for today in all televisions, the increased hygiene provided in OPET toilets are emphasized and it gives the message that all toilets in Turkey must be provided with the same cleanliness.  

Nurten Öztürk, a Founding Member of the Board of Directors of OPET, the mastermind of the Clean Toilet Campaign, indicated that they provided hygiene training to 8 million people in 15 years, and further said: "In the World, 1/3 of all people still do not have healthy and safe cleaning conditions. Approximately 1 billion people, meaning of 15% of human population still carry out their toilet requirements outdoors. Everyday, children that can fill three jumbo jets die due to diarrhea-related diseases. Lack of personal and safe toilets expose women to violence cases. In developing countries, more than 80% sewage is disposed to lakes, rivers and coasts, poisoning the waters. Cleaning violations prevent the development of children. Toilets are a sign of civilization of a country.  This campaign we launched 15 years ago is our struggle for creating a clean and healthy society. We will persistently continue this also in future years."

What were achieved with the "Clean Toilet Campaign” in 15 years? 

• While providing continuous trainings to more than 1300 personnel in all OPET fuel stations, the toilets were given a hygienic and modern environment, disabled toilet obligation was adopted. Diaper change units were installed in the stations. 
   
• To educate children and adults, trainings were organized, while cartoons and commercials were prepared and broadcasted on TV. 
   
• 6.5 million kilometers (4 million miles) of road was covered in 15 years; allover Turkey, seminars were delivered to the public at villages and towns; and to teachers and students at schools. In total, more than 8 million people were reached.
• The standards defined by the cooperation of OPET and TSE became mandatory in all toilets, including public, workplace and restaurant toilets. 
   
• Personnel trainings were provided with the cooperation of public institutions. 
   
•  “My Clean School” project was applied in all schools in Istanbul. Cleaning and hygiene education was delivered to all with the collaboration of National Education Directorates in Amasya and Şanlıurfa.   ‘Potable Water Usable Toilet’ project was supported in Malatya. “Cleaning and hygiene” education was delivered to the personnel affiliated with the National Education Directorate and to all teachers by supporting the “Foamed Hands Happy Faces” project in Silivri.  “Cleaning and hygiene” education was delivered to all teachers, to principals, to auxiliary services personnel, and to students under the title "Clean School, Healthy Future".
   
• All TCDD (Turkish State Railways) personnel were trained; cleaning and hygiene practices were rendered to be more widespread at trains, railroad terminals and stations. A social responsibility project was carried out in terms of clean toilet, hygiene, and economical water utilization in collaboration with Sakarya Metropolitan Municipality. 
   
•  During the Swine Influenza epidemic, all OPET stations and the schools where such trainings were being provided, were put under protection by means of the Bioshield application, which avoids the reproduction and infection of microbes for 90 days. 
   
• Upon invitation, hygiene training was given in Turkish schools in Saudi Arabia and Macedonia.  
   
• OPET Clean Toilet Campaign won first place in "Social Responsibility Projects"  category in Golden World Awards contest of IPRA (International Public Relations Association) for the year 2004. In the same year, it won first place in  "Social Responsibility Projects " category in 3rd Golden Compass Awards of TÜHİD (Public Relations Society of Turkey) and in "Social Responsibility Campaigns" category of "Those at the top" survey of Nokta Magazine. Receiving the bronze award in the category of ‘Health, Safety and Environment’ Program in the 11th International Stevie Awards, the project was granted the “Event Award” in the “Corporate Social Responsibility Awards” organized for the first time this year by the Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations. Under Gamechangers Awards, OPET was awarded in ‘Inspire’ category, due to the fact that it inspired other trademarks by bringing a new point of view to ‘hygiene’ approach with its ‘Clean Toilet Campaign’.
   

How did World Toilet Day emerge?
 

In July, UN General Assembly stated that 1.1 billion people worldwide met their need to use the toilets outdoors in 2013, and officially announced November 19th as the World Toilet Day. International non-governmental organizations had already adopted World Toilet Day but UN Recognized this event in 2013. In the decision adopted during UN General Assembly, it was stated that the aim was to prevent meeting the need to use toilets in an open area and implement policies that will improve hygiene and health conditions and it was announced that such a day was adopted in order to increase awareness so that all people live under hygienic conditions.