Circular Economy Is Growing Rapidly

Circular Economy Growing Rapidly Ömer Karadeniz, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Plastics Manufacturers Federation (PLASFED), noted that plastic recycling plays a complementary role in the sector in terms of reducing environmental impact, ensuring sustainability and securing raw material supply: "Circular economy is developing rapidly, affecting the plastics industry both globally and in Turkey. If we want to capture this paradigm shift from linear to circular in the coming period, we need to work much more intensively," he said.

Plastic: A Raw Material with Economic Value That Must Be Used Correctly

Ömer Karadeniz, Chairman of the Plastics Manufacturers Federation (PLASFED), stated that the Turkish plastics sector is one of the sectors that contribute the most to the country's economy: "Our sector, which contributed to exports in 2021, will continue to contribute to exports both directly and indirectly in the coming period. Plastic is a raw material with economic value that must be used correctly. We can say that the fundamental problem of the waste issue faced today does not stem from plastic raw material itself, but from failures in how plastic is used, its management after use, and waste recovery. We have very serious efforts as a sector on this issue, but it is very important that our efforts are supported by both public authorities and the public," he said.

Economic Size of Plastic Recycling Sector Will Grow Over the Next 30 Years

Ömer Karadeniz, highlighting that the importance of circular economy and recycling associated with it is increasing rapidly today, said: "Turkey has a plastic waste processing capacity that can compete with the world. We foresee that the economic size of the plastic recycling sector will grow over the next 30 years and create a market of approximately USD 900 billion by 2050. Many of our industrial enterprises operate honestly and in compliance with laws, and our country is making serious efforts to take part in this newly developing industry. In this context, waste management should be improved in our country through source separation and deposit refund systems. With correct strategies, it is even possible to reduce landfill to zero," he said.

Plastic Reduces Carbon Emissions

Ömer Karadeniz, noting that negative perceptions about plastic are among the sector's most important problems, said: "Today, plastic is leading the materials necessary for a clean world by reducing carbon emissions. Through the chemical recycling method, plastic is converted into highly valuable chemicals. Advanced countries currently see that the linear economic model, termed "produce-use-dispose," applied during industrialization and development processes threatens sustainable development, so they follow the circular economy model, which is based on waste being perceived as a resource rather than waste and adapted to the system this way. Many industrial enterprises in our country have set targets to make their operations more sustainable. Action plans, incentives and legal regulations to be implemented by our public authorities are very important for achieving these targets and making a full transition to the circular economy," he said. Finally, expressing his thoughts on the "Plastic Recycling and Circular Economy Workshop" organized by İKMİB on 18-19 February 2022 and supported by PLASFED, Ömer Karadeniz said, "I would like to extend my sincere thanks to our İKMİB Chairman Adil Pelister and all participants. It was indeed a very important organization where sector problems and solution proposals were put on the table. I believe that the report that will emerge after the meeting will play an important role in determining public strategy for the future," he said.