PLASFED Chairman Ömer Karadeniz joined Ahu Orakçıoğlu on the live broadcast of the Gün Ortası program on Ekotürk on February 26, 2025. Addressing inquiries about the issues faced by Turkish industrialists, Karadeniz highlighted that plastics enhance efficiency across various sectors, from defense to aviation, due to their lightweight and durable properties.
Emphasizing that the plastic industry adds value to the Turkish economy by serving approximately 35 sectors, PLASFED Board Chairman Ömer Karadeniz noted that plastic is present in every aspect of our lives.
Karadeniz stated that plastics increase efficiency in various sectors, from defense to aviation, saying, “Plastics play a crucial role in combating global warming. The use of plastics in many sectors helps reduce fuel consumption by decreasing the weight of vehicles. This can mitigate environmental impacts by lowering carbon emissions. For instance, with the use of plastics, airplanes are now lighter and thus faster. This clearly shows how plastics play a significant role in the conservation of the environment.”
Petrochemical facilities should be established
Karadeniz noted that we are about 90% dependent on foreign raw materials and expressed the need for at least five petrochemical plants. Highlighting the sector's focus on sustainability and environmentally friendly technologies backed by R&D and innovation investments, Karadeniz stated that with its contributions to employment, exports, and technological advancements, the sector plays a critical role in Turkey's economic growth. He remarked that plastic is used in everything from our eyewear lenses to our shoelaces and mentioned that the industry would grow exponentially once the raw material shortage is resolved.
Second-hand products are not waste but raw materials
Karadeniz emphasized that used products coming from abroad are used for raw material purposes, stating, “The materials we call disposable are processed in our country to obtain raw materials. Many countries perform this process extensively. Moreover, we need this process even more. The more products we import, the more raw materials we can obtain. We have massive facilities handling second-hand products. We should view imported second-hand products as raw materials, not waste.”
Recycling creates economic value
Karadeniz mentioned that creating economic value through recycling the materials used is possible through the Source Separation System (KAS). He emphasized that KAS should be implemented as soon as possible across all platforms and that the public needs to be educated on this matter. He shared that, as an NGO, PLASFED continuously informs its members about this issue and expressed the need for government support. Karadeniz pointed out that this cannot be achieved solely with local administrations, highlighting the necessity for collaboration between local and central governments.
Translated by Artificial Intelligence
