Polyethylene Scrap Imports Liberalized

Selçuk Gülsün, Chairman of the Board of the Plastics Manufacturers Association (PAGDER): "The ban on polyethylene scrap imports has been lifted through amendments to the circular that had brought the plastic recycling sector in our country to a standstill. However, for the sector to conduct imports, amendments are also needed in the circular issued by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization," he said. Emphasizing that within the scope of the European Green Deal, the use of recycled raw materials in plastic products has become mandatory, Selçuk Gülsün stated: "The regulatory changes that brought the plastic recycling sector in our country to a standstill would have also negatively impacted our plastic product exports. Similarly, difficulties were experienced in sourcing irrigation pipes and fruit crates for agricultural production, and prices tripled in certain product categories. The main reason for this is that plastic scrap collected and sorted appropriately in our country can only meet about 30 percent of the country's needs. While our plastics sector ranks seventh globally and second in Europe in finished product manufacturing, the demand for recycled raw materials required by these producers naturally far exceeds domestic supply. In this context, permitting the import of polyethylene scrap, which was included in the prohibited list by the Ministry of Commerce circular dated 18 May 2021, is an encouraging development both for the sector and our country," he said.  

The de facto ban has not yet been lifted!

Although the Ministry of Commerce has allowed polyethylene scrap imports, Selçuk Gülsün noted that the de facto ban on imports continues: "As you know, the primary regulation that created the de facto ban on plastic scrap imports was the circular numbered 2021/9 published by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization on 18 May 2021. Since this circular has not yet been amended, it is not possible to import plastic scrap into our country. The requirement of 1 percent foreign material by weight stated in the said circular creates a condition that cannot be met by the nature of the product, making imports impossible. Similarly, the requirement for a guarantee of TRY 100 per ton based on annual production capacity when obtaining a waste importer registration certificate creates a significant financial burden for producers. If the guarantee practice is to continue, it would be more appropriate for this guarantee to be requested per transaction. In the current situation, enterprises that obtain a waste importer registration certificate but conduct little or no imports would also be subject to this financial burden," he said.  

The solution lies in effective inspection!

Noting that they share the growing environmental concerns in the public sphere, Gülsün said: "Certainly, protecting our country's nature is one of our most important priorities, but the path to this is through effective inspection. If inspection measures such as monitoring of production inputs like electricity, water and labor, pre-licensing infrastructure adequacy analysis, verification of information on disposal facilities where waste is sent, and on-site inspections for high-volume imports—which we have previously shared with the relevant public institutions—are implemented, identifying those who commit acts that are considered crimes under our laws will be far easier to achieve, and environmental problems will be eliminated," he said.