Ömer ÖZKUL
Denizli Plastics Industrialists and Recyclers Business People Association (DEPSİAD)
Chairman of the Board
The plastics sector's contribution to the national economy is steadily increasing with its total production exceeding 10 million tons, its turnover approaching 45 billion dollars, its direct exports exceeding 7 billion dollars, and its annual growth surpassing GDP growth in the last 10 years. The sector has risen to second place in Europe and sixth in the world in terms of its production capacity.
The plastics sector stands as a significant player in both the Turkish economy and the global plastics industry with its plastic production capacity and recycling efforts. Turkey's growth in plastic production and its proximity to European markets have made the country an important hub for global trade. Today, the plastics sector's contribution to the national economy is steadily increasing, with a total production exceeding 10 million tons, a turnover approaching 45 billion dollars, direct exports exceeding 7 billion dollars, and an annual growth surpassing GDP growth in the last 10 years.
Our sector has risen to second place in Europe and sixth in the world in terms of its production capacity. Furthermore, Turkey's sustainability and recycling policies are raising awareness about plastic waste management, constituting an important step towards achieving circular economy goals.
THE WORLD IN THE PLASTICS SECTOR
Leading countries in plastic production worldwide are major economies that hold a decisive position in terms of both production capacity and consumption. In this context, China, holding more than 30 percent of global plastic production, is in a leading position in the plastics industry; while the USA stands out with its advanced technology and innovative production methods. Countries like Germany, France, and Italy are also central to plastic production in Europe.
India offers a large developing market in terms of plastic production and has become a significant player in plastic production with both local demand and export capacity. South Korea holds a substantial share in plastic production, particularly in the automotive and electronics sectors, with technology-focused plastic production and advanced industrial infrastructure. Japan is known for its advanced technology-based plastic production. Intensive plastic consumption is observed, especially in the automotive and electronics sectors.
While Germany is the leading country in plastic recycling, which holds a very important place in the sector, the USA shows a weak performance among developed countries. China was a major player in plastic waste imports until 2018, but began to change the rules of the game by focusing on strengthening its own recycling infrastructure. China's cessation of plastic waste imports caused these wastes to be directed to countries like Turkey, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Turkey also imports a significant amount of plastic waste from the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Italy, the USA, and France.
TURKEY RISES TO SECOND IN EUROPE AND SIXTH IN THE WORLD IN THE PLASTICS SECTOR
The plastics sector stands as a significant player in both the Turkish economy and the global plastics industry with its plastic production capacity and recycling efforts. Turkey's growth in plastic production and its proximity to European markets have made the country an important hub for global trade. Today, the plastics sector's contribution to the national economy is steadily increasing, with a total production exceeding 10 million tons, a turnover approaching 45 billion dollars, direct exports exceeding 7 billion dollars, and an annual growth surpassing GDP growth in the last 10 years. Our sector has risen to second place in Europe and sixth in the world in terms of its production capacity. Furthermore, Turkey's sustainability and recycling policies are raising awareness about plastic waste management, constituting an important step towards achieving circular economy goals.
THE PATH TO THE FUTURE LIES IN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PRODUCTION
Despite being one of the most important building blocks of the modern economy, the plastics sector has frequently become the focus of criticism in recent years due to its environmental impacts. In this context, environmentally friendly production has become a critical issue for both the sustainability of sectoral growth and the reduction of harm to the environment.
Turkey is focused on developing and expanding its infrastructure to process rapidly increasing plastic waste imports, but this is a time-consuming process. Consequently, the inadequacy of policies and infrastructure renders a large portion of waste unmanageable, leading to environmental pollution. Plastics left in open areas and landfills, illegally burned, or processed under inappropriate conditions pollute air, soil, and water resources due to uncontrolled storage. Moreover, as a country bordering the Aegean, Black, and Mediterranean Seas, Turkey also faces serious plastic pollution problems in its marine environments. A large portion of improperly managed plastic waste ends up in the seas, harming the ecosystem and threatening biodiversity. The Mediterranean has already become one of the world's most polluted seas, and this situation has worsened with plastic waste imports. Therefore, it also negatively impacts human health.
Making the plastics industry environmentally friendly is of great importance for both the preservation of ecological balances and economic sustainability. Through environmentally friendly production, waste management, recycling, circular economy, and innovative solutions, the plastics sector can minimize its negative environmental impacts. In this process where local collaborations gain importance, consumer demands, legal regulations, and sustainability pressure are forcing plastic manufacturers to develop environmentally friendly solutions. In the long term, these solutions will provide both environmental benefits and increase economic gains.
THE IMPORTANCE OF STRATEGIC ALLIANCE: DEPSİAD
As DEPSİAD, we aim to achieve healthier production, import, and export conditions by bringing together companies operating in different parts of Denizli within the sector. This alliance is especially important for situations where fundamental problems in the sector cannot be solved individually. Building such a deep-rooted network of relationships in the sector is a time-consuming task, but despite everything, we are aware of the importance of gaining new stakeholders and acting together at this point.
We know that a circular economy requires upstream and downstream partnerships. At this point, the cooperation we have established with local administrations under the umbrella of DEPSİAD signifies a meaningful process that considers the interests of all parties. This alliance creates individual gains and conveniences while contributing to the development of both Denizli and the national economy. Local mergers of the plastics sector nationwide and the establishment of a total union will further accelerate the sector and contribute to the creation of a strategy that enables reaching all stakeholders of the sector. The increase in DEPSİAD-like formations will not only allow the plastics sector to strengthen but also enable it to play an effective role in Turkey and the international arena. Thus, the sector's attainment of its deserved value will be inevitable.
This content has been translated using artificial intelligence technology.