GARBAGE LADIES of TURKEY

Tara Hopkins & Melih Özsöz

Founders

For more information: www.copmadam.com

General Outlook

Çöp(m)adam is a social development project / a social business aiming to provide chance for women who never had opportunity to work and earn regular salaries in the course of their lifetimes.

The project / the social business offers a fun and creative method to ladies by producing items made out of recycled materials.

On Founders

Çöp(m)adam was established in August 2008 in Ayvalik/Balıkesir by Tara Hopkins and Melih Özsöz.

Born in 1961 (California – USA) Tara Hopkins, managed Sabancı University Civic Involvement Projects for more than 10 years.

Born in 1981 (İzmir – Turkey) Melih Özsöz, works as a Senior Expert at Economic Development Foundation on EU Affairs.

NO BUSINESS PLAN,YET!

Mexico City

Istanbul

11.424 km

Why Çöp(m)adam?

In Turkey while women composes 50% of the population, only 24% of them finds the chance to participate to the workforce. With a simple calculation, only 1 out of 4 women in Turkey works; where million of women are lacking a regular salary, as well as are out of social security schemes.

Sponsored by Unilever Turkey and Sabancı University, products of Çöp(m)adam are produced out of recycled materials, selected among trash that we easily throw to the rubbish in Ayvalık workshop and in Diyarbakır workshop established in cooperation with KAMER. Products of Çöp(m)adam are presented to people who want to be different and responsible for the environment.

Why Çöp(m)adam is different?

The originality of the project lies at the very fact that it combines successfully these two concepts (women issue and environment) on local level in a suistainable way. While the project helps raising awareness on issues such as women employment, rising self esteem of women, eradication of poverty and protection of environment etc.; it also presents a business model with high social impact to be repeated on national and international levels.

Sponsors

Çöp(m)adam is sposored by Unilever Turkey and Sabancı University. Unilever Turkey contributes to the project by providind pre-industrial packaging waste of her brands Knorr, Calve, Magnum, UFS, Becel, Amaze etc.

45 tonnes of Unilever waste was recycled since August 2008.

The Project is also supported by YÜNSA, Yurtiçi Kargo, Ergün Düğme, Polymertex and Sabancı Foundation.

January 2009 – January 2012

Production 7693

Sales 6668

Stock 1025

Sales

Jan. 2009 – Dec. 2009 251

Jan. 2010 – Dec. 2010 2911

Jan. 2011 – Jan. 2012 3506

6668

More than 15 stores in Turkey (mainly in Istanbul)

Greece, USA, Australia, Germany, Russia, UAE

5 Boutiques in Istanbul

JAN.2009-JUNE 2011(Ladies)

Currently(Ladies)

AYVALIK WORKSHOP 450 60

DİYARBAKIR WORKSHOP 20 20

İSTANBUL WORKSHOP 50 -(Closed: January 2011)

TOTAL 520 80

* Monthly Income:30 TL-1500 TL

Lokum Salvatore Çerçöp

Çöpçatan Orta

Çöpçatan Büyük

Baget Heybe

Zincirli

Kokteyl

Çöpçatan Küçük

Heybe Maxi

Çıfıt Çarşısı

Çöpçatan Büyük Zincirli

On May 2010, Çöp(m)adam received Silver Anvil Award given by Public Relations Society of America, also known as the “Oscars of Public Relations”.

Çöp(m)adam became one of “16 best practices of social entreprise” of the world among 960 projects that participated to the competition.

On June 2011, Çöp(m)adam was selected as one of Turkey’s best social entreprise by United Nations Development Programme of Turkey.

Since 2008, Çöp(m)adam has been quoted in more than 300 newspapers.

PR activities:

Unite İletişim

Nightmares of a Young Social Entrepreneur

Genç bir Sosyal Girişimcinin Kabusları

1 – Yasal / mali mevzuattaki sıkıntılar

“kar amacı gütmeyen kuruluş”

Teşviklerin eksikliği (vergi muafiyeti, özel statü vb.)

2 – Doğru algılanamamaProje / ticari işletme ?

3 – Finansal SürdürülebilirlikSosyal amaç vs. Mali Durum

4 – Yetersiz kaynak geliştirme ortamı Özel sektör desteğinin az olmasıHer şirket birşeyler yapmaya çalışıyor=sürdürülebilirlik ?

1 – Problems with regards to the legal / financial legislation

“non-profit organization” “not-for-profit corporation”Lack of incentives to encourage (tax exemptions, special status etc.)

2 – MispercetionProject / business ?

3 – Financial suistainabilitySocial purpose vs. financial situation

4 – Insufficient fund-raising environment Lack of support from private sectorAll trying to do smtg. = No suistainability

http://www.copmadam.com