Recycling Workshop Organized by İKMİB Held

The Plastics Recycling and Circular Economy Workshop, organized by the Istanbul Chemical Substances and Products Exporters Association (İKMİB), was held in Antalya on 18-19 February 2022. Within the scope of the workshop, which brought together major stakeholders of the plastics sector, topics including the future of plastics recycling and sustainability, new legislation, global developments in the sector and circular economy were addressed. The "Plastics Recycling and Circular Economy Workshop" held in Antalya under İKMİB's auspices was attended by İKMİB Board Chairman Adil Pelister, Plastics Manufacturers Federation (PLASFED) Chairman Ömer Karadeniz, Plastics Manufacturers Association (PAGDER) Chairman Selçuk Gülsün, EGE PLASDER Chairman Şener Gençer, KAYPİDER Chairman Yusuf Özkan, BAPSİD Chairman Mehmet Hakan Atalay, Composite Manufacturers Association General Secretary İsmail Hakkı Hacıalioğlu, leading sector companies, representatives from the Turkish Ministry of Trade, Turkish Ministry of Environment, Urbanism and Climate Change, and Turkish Ministry of Treasury and Finance. During the two-day workshop, ideas were shared on recycling efforts in the plastics sector, international standards, R&D and innovation, increasing plastics exports, sustainability, raising public awareness, regulations, adapting best practice applications from around the world to Turkey, source separation, legislation and legal arrangements, design, production and the use of renewable energy in recycling and incentives.

Adil Pelister Delivered Opening Remarks

İKMİB Board Chairman Adil Pelister, who delivered the opening remarks, presented current figures on plastics sector exports, the position of the Turkish plastics sector in the world and İKMİB's activities for the plastics sector. PLASFED Chairman Ömer Karadeniz and PAGDER Chairman Selçuk Gülsün also addressed topics including plastics recycling in the sector, the future of plastics exports and high-value plastic products and Turkey's increased influence globally. İKMİB Board Chairman Adil Pelister, emphasizing that the plastics sector is among the leading areas of chemistry and is a driving force in chemical exports, stated: "In 2021, we reached a new record with USD 25.4 billion in chemical sector exports out of our total USD 225 billion in exports. Our leading subsector in chemical exports was plastics and plastic products. With an export price of approximately USD 2.7 per kilogram, the plastics sector adds strength to chemistry. As İKMİB, through our strategic efforts targeting specific countries and markets, we work together with all stakeholders to increase the share of our plastics sector in global trade. To enable our members to increase their exports qualitatively, we support our plastics sector most robustly through nationally-participated international trade fairs, commercial purchasing delegations, workshops, R&D projects and design competitions. We work to elevate the domestic and international perception of our plastics sector. In this context, using the outputs obtained from our recent workshop report, we have brought together stakeholders of our plastics sector once again, specifically on plastics recycling and circular economy topics. In the coming period, we plan to continue growing in plastics and plastic products exports, reaching approximately USD 12 billion in export figures. With new steps we will take in the recycling field, we will increase the added value in the sector and within the scope of the circular economy, we will continue our activities within an action plan aimed at source separation of waste and recovering resources as much as possible through recycling. I thank PLASFED, PAGDER and all our sector stakeholders for their valuable contributions. In the coming period, through our awareness and consciousness-raising activities, we will implement projects that will increase plastics recycling."