The year 2025, which we are preparing to leave behind, was a challenging but instructive year for both the Turkish economy and the plastic packaging sector. We are leaving behind a period shaped by uncertainties in the global economy, fluctuations in energy prices, geopolitical tensions, and financial tightening policies in the domestic market. However, despite all these difficulties, the Turkish plastic packaging sector once again proved its resilience with its production capability, export power, and agile structure.
Year of stabilization and selective growth
The year 2025 can be characterized as a “year of stabilization” for the Turkish economy. The downward trend in inflation, the strengthening of fiscal discipline, and the gradual decrease in the foreign trade deficit gave important signals towards stability in the overall outlook. However, the contraction in domestic demand periodically suppressed industrial production and, consequently, packaging consumption. In contrast, for export-oriented companies, 2025 was a period where new market searches and digital transformation investments aimed at increasing efficiency accelerated. Turkey's strong industrial base in its production infrastructure offered significant advantages to Turkish manufacturers, especially in the supply chain restructurings experienced in the European market.
Sustainable growth, increasing efficiency
The plastic packaging sector recorded a real growth of approximately 4 percent in 2025, performing above the general industry average. Thanks to its structure serving strategic sectors such as food, hygiene, cosmetics, and chemicals, production capacity was largely maintained despite fluctuations in domestic demand. The most significant trend of the year was a noticeable increase in the use of recycled raw materials and the acceleration of R&D investments in sustainable packaging solutions. Field analyses conducted by BURPAS show that most of our member companies systematically implemented carbon footprint reduction and environmental reporting processes within 2025. Additionally, investments in digital production tracking systems, energy efficiency projects, and environmentally friendly packaging designs strengthened the sector's competitiveness both in the domestic market and in the international arena. Especially in preparation for the obligations brought by the European Green Deal, our companies made significant progress in integrating sustainability criteria into their supply chains.
Diversity in exports and increase in added value
In 2025, while the quantitative growth in plastic packaging exports remained limited, an increase on a unit price basis was notable. This indicates that Turkish plastic packaging manufacturers are turning towards value-added products and that branding awareness has strengthened. In markets such as the Middle East, North Africa, and Latin America, particularly the European Union, Turkish packaging manufacturers have become preferred for their quality and delivery reliability. As of 2025, Turkey's plastic packaging exports experienced an increase of nearly 5 percent, while approximately one-third of domestic market production was directed to exports. Consequently, despite all fluctuations, the year 2025 once again demonstrated how resilient the Turkish plastic packaging industry is. In 2026, we will move beyond resilience and enter a period of smart growth and sustainable transformation. As BURPAS, we will continue to work with our sector stakeholders to make a production approach that adds value to both the environment and the economy permanent.
This content has been translated using artificial intelligence technology.