The recycling sector, which for many years has been deemed ‘undesirable businesses’ and denied licenses within OIZs on various grounds, says that it is ‘indispensable’ for Turkey to get the share it deserves within the scope of circular economy and green consensus. Businesses, which today have serious problems in finding a place for new facility investments, especially in metropolitan areas, are demanding that the OIZs should put aside their contradictory approaches to the requirements of the age and allow recycling sector investments to be made within OIZs. Emphasizing that recycling enterprises are a part of the industry and that the sector is obliged to locate in OIZs due to infrastructure requirements, Vedat Kılıç, President of the Association of Recyclable Waste Materials Industrialists (TÜDAM), said: “Waste Specialized OIZs should be established in metropolitan cities with dense population, industry and waste.”
“We must adapt to the process”
With the reuse of recycled raw materials in production becoming the world’s priority for the functioning of the circular economy, the recycling sector has gained even more importance and has rapidly become a critical actor in supply chains. Recycled raw material procurement is now on the hot agenda of many global and national corporate companies from almost every sector such as automotive, textile and packaging. Stating that Turkey, one of the world’s leading producers in many different sectors, has no choice but to keep up with this development and transformation process in the world, TÜDAM Chairman Vedat Kılıç said, “Unfortunately, recycling sector representatives who manage, recover, recycle and supply waste as raw materials to the main industry are not granted licenses within organized industrial zones.However, looking at the infrastructure needs and challenging license criteria, the sector has no chance to invest outside industrial zones. Recycling facilities, just like other industrial establishments, need basic documents such as occupancy permits, workplace opening/operation licenses, fire brigade reports and infrastructure elements such as electricity, natural gas and treatment plants in order to operate. Interestingly, the recycling sector is seen by OIZs as outside the industry; however, it is not possible for the sector to operate outside industrial areas. Existing businesses that want to expand their business are stuck in different parts of the city, while companies that decide to invest have serious problems in finding suitable locations in metropolitan areas.”
Kılıç said, “If the recycling sector is not given a place in the planning and is prevented from operating in OIZs, we will seriously disrupt the implementation of our green development plan. For this reason, we demand an urgent change in this negative and outdated perspective towards the sector in OIZs. All recycling sector representatives who can fulfill the conditions should be able to take part in OIZs without any license problems. In fact, considering the current conjuncture, they should be encouraged.”
Vedat Kılıç criticized that while the world values the recycling sector more due to the EU Green Deal and circular economy, there are obstacles to the development of the sector in our country and said, “The recycling sector is in need.”
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