Sustainability: How Garanti BBVA Employees’ Ideas Turn into Tangible Solutions
A custom-designed ATM manufactured from waste and scrap materials and powered entirely by renewable energy has become a symbol of how innovative employee ideas at Garanti BBVA are turned into tangible projects — and of how sustainability has become an organic part of the organization’s culture.
As the world enters a period in which resources are becoming increasingly scarce, with direct implications for global economies, supply chains, and ways of life, sustainability is no longer merely an environmental concern. It has become an essential requirement that is reshaping how business is done. Garanti BBVA continues to support this transformation not only through strategy, but also through innovative ideas that emerge organically from within the organization.
One concrete example of this approach is the custom-designed ATM installed at the Erenköy branch. Clad entirely in materials made from waste and scrap, and powered 100 percent by renewable energy, the ATM is the result of a meaningful transformation story that began with a simple idea put forward by a Garanti BBVA employee.
The ATM’s housing was produced using materials collected from waste and scrap generated at various branches and headquarters locations. Of its surface, 83 percent consists of metal and electronic waste, 8 percent of recycled paper and cardboard, and 4 percent of recycled plastic. Components that had previously reached the end of their useful life have now been repurposed as a financial technology product touched by millions of people.
Commenting on the project, Garanti BBVA’s Executive Vice President for Talent and Culture remarked that sustainability is viewed not just as a strategic objective, but as an approach embedded across all ways of working. She noted that the most valuable aspect of the project was the fact that it originated with an employee idea, reflecting the belief that innovation grows when teams within the organization are encouraged to explore, experiment, and act with curiosity and courage. In her words, “Innovation and transformation grow from within the culture.”
From this perspective, the ATM project is positioned not only as an innovative design initiative, but also as a way of rethinking attitudes toward sustainability. It highlights that waste should not be seen solely as material to be disposed of, but as a potential source of new economic and social value when paired with the right ideas. Through this project, Garanti BBVA demonstrates how sustainability, technology, and human creativity can come together to generate meaningful impact. While the ATM currently serves as a symbolic example, it is intended to inspire more sustainable branches, more efficient technologies, and more inclusive business models in the future.