The Future of Packaging Discussed at PAGEV Summit

Plastic Packaging Will Differentiate Through Design, Branding and Innovation

PAGEV (Turkish Plastics Manufacturers Research, Development and Training Foundation) held the fifth edition of the "International Plastic Packaging Technologies Congress" on 30 October 2018 at the Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel. The congress, which brought together experts, industry representatives and academics from Turkey and abroad, had the main theme "Packaging of the Future". The congress, which examined the plastic packaging sector from A to Z, began with industry assessments by Osman Acun, Chairman of the Rigid Plastic Packaging Manufacturers Association (SEPA), Fahri Özer, Chairman of the Flexible Packaging Manufacturers Association (FASD) and Zeki Sarıbekir, Chairman of the Packaging Manufacturers Association (ASD), and the opening speech by Yavuz Eroğlu, Chairman of PAGEV. At the congress, which shed light on the future of plastic packaging technologies, expert speakers offered forecasts on the sector's tomorrow through different perspectives and approaches. One of the most important outcomes of the congress was that the sector is being shaped according to consumer preferences, while design, branding and innovation signatures stand out in future packaging. In a panel titled "The Role of Packaging in the Circular Economy" organized during the afternoon session of the PAGEV International Packaging Technologies Congress, the importance of converting plastic packaging for a sustainable environment was emphasized. The panel, moderated by Kurt Kuruç, General Manager of Klöckner Pentaplast Gebze, featured speakers Atahan Özgünay, Research and Development Packaging Manager at Unilever, Ayça Demirci Turgay, Corporate Communications Director for P&G Turkey and the Caucasus, and Fatih Ergüney, Research and Development and Hayat Innovation Manager at Hayat Kimya. The 5th International Packaging Technologies Congress, which had PAGÇEV as main sponsor, Novamont as gold sponsor, and SEM Plastik among the sponsors, attracted considerable interest again this year. PAGEV Chairman Yavuz Eroğlu, who delivered the opening address of the congress, said: "Our congress, which has become a meeting point for our sector, grows stronger each year both in content and in the number of participants. The plastic packaging sector grows each year and develops in line with technological changes.

We thank all organizations that supported our congress. Design, branding and innovation play an important role in the new understanding of packaging shaped by consumer preferences.

Our companies must definitely organize their way of doing business according to these three criteria. As PAGEV, we continue our work uninterruptedly to guide the sector in this direction," he said. Sharing figures related to the plastic packaging sector at the congress, Yavuz Eroğlu stated: "In Turkey, plastic packaging maintains its leadership with a 35 percent share of total packaging sector production. Plastics also rank first in packaging consumption figures. Our plastic packaging sector, which has sustained growth momentum over the last five years, reached production of 3.8 million tonnes in volume and USD 12.7 billion in value in 2017. We see that our companies produced 1.391 million tonnes and USD 5.5 billion worth of plastic packaging in the first quarter of 2018. We forecast that by year-end, plastic packaging production will reach 4.1 million tonnes in volume with an 8.7 percent increase, and USD 14.1 billion in value with an 11.1 percent increase. The plastic packaging sector, which accounts for 66 percent of total packaging industry exports, holds significant potential in terms of exports. In 2017, we exported 915 thousand tonnes and USD 2.38 billion worth of plastic packaging. In the first quarter of this year, we saw a significant increase in exports, with 237 thousand tonnes exported with a 10.7 percent increase in volume and USD 646 million with a 21 percent increase in value. Germany, the United Kingdom, Iraq, Italy and Israel stood out as the countries with the highest exports."