8th PAGEV International Plastic Packaging Congress Held in Istanbul

The Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO) and the Turkish Plastics Manufacturers Research, Development and Education Foundation (PAGEV) held the 8th PAGEV International Plastic Packaging Congress on 22 October 2024 at the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Assembly Hall.

"European Reality in Packaging in Light of New Regulations and Emerging Global Markets" brought together key representatives from public institutions, international organizations, petrochemicals, manufacturing, recycling and machinery sectors. The congress provided a unique platform for industry professionals to exchange information and evaluate new business opportunities. As in previous years, speakers from leading companies in Turkey and around the world participated in the congress, with CEOs from major corporations such as Nestle, Koroplast and Evyap, and leading industry figures meeting with participants in panel sessions.

The congress opened with remarks from İTO Management Board Chairman Şekib Avdagiç. Noting that the sector conducted a one-year assessment at the congress, Avdagiç said, "We see that it is time to stop repeating what we have been saying about the 'Green Deal' since 2008. We have now entered the phase of actually 'doing' these things in a clear, transparent and effective manner. Plastics must not threaten human nature. To this end, the entire public needs to be convinced. The Turkish plastic sector has the capacity and experience to carry out such a transformation from many different angles. All we need is to view every product we produce as a step toward protecting nature. Then our sector will be a guarantee of a green world."

PAGEV Chairman Yavuz Eroğlu said in his remarks, "We need to reduce carbon emissions and implement the 'green transition'. The European Union is taking important steps in this direction. This transition, supported by regulations, aims to give the economy and industrial activities an environmentally friendly structure. The recycling issue plays a critical role here. Recycling products and reusing them in the production process will help reduce greenhouse gases. However, these steps are also seen as part of Europe's effort to protect its own market. For example, the requirement for a certain percentage of plastic packaging to be made from recycled material may reflect protectionist approaches."

In the first panel titled "Routes to Export Markets," moderated by PAGEV Congress Committee Chairman Hamdi Yazır, discussions covered how to enter export markets in Turkey and globally, along with the challenges and opportunities encountered in this process.

The second panel, moderated by Hürriyet Newspaper Economics Editor Sefer Levent, addressed Europe's 2025 recycling targets and their impact on the plastic packaging industry. Certiloop General Manager Yağmur Eroğlu, CSR Plastik General Manager Ali Sarp Bingöl, Adanus Plastik Board Chairman Bilal Nadir Gök, Futurapet General Manager Murat Yerli, Başatlı General Manager Ömer Faruk İbrahimağaoğlu and MTM Plastik Board Chairman Savaş Mahsereci, among other key industry actors, evaluated the impact of the European Union's recycling regulations on Turkey's plastic sector. Panelists shared new approaches to recycling technologies and material reuse.

In the final panel, moderated by Nasıl Bir Ekonomi Newspaper General Coordinator Vahap Munyar, PAGEV Chairman Yavuz Eroğlu, EuPC General Manager and GreenWave Plastics CEO Bernard Merkx assessed global developments in the plastic packaging sector. The panel addressed the future of plastic packaging, transformation processes centered on sustainability and new regulations applied worldwide. Industry leaders exchanged views on sustainable packaging solutions, recycling targets and opportunities brought by the green deal.