Publishing a report on the need for industrialization of the recycling sector, TÜDAM Association emphasizes that the recycling industry is the key to Turkey’s adaptation to the circular economy. “Recycled raw materials will be one of the most important inputs of the main industry within the scope of green development,” said Vedat Kılıç, President of the Association.
TÜDAM published a report on the industrialization needs of the recycling sector, and while demanding a specialized OIZ, President Vedat Kılıç said, “The main industry will need a lot of circular raw materials within the scope of this green transformation.”
In parallel with the sustainability efforts in the world, the increasing rate of recycled materials in the industrial sector has turned the spotlight on recycling facilities. TÜDAM Recyclable Waste Materials Industrialists Association, which published the Recycling Sector Industrialization Projection report, emphasized the need for industrialization of the sector for Turkey to be successful in the circular economy.
Necessary infrastructure should be prepared
In the report, which draws attention to the increase in the rate of circular material use with the green transformation studies, practices and legislative changes of the European Union countries, “In 2020, the EU’s circular material use rate (circularity rate) reached 12.8 percent. This means that almost 13 percent of the material resources used in the EU come from recycled waste materials.” Reminding that there are collective targets to limit global warming to 1.5 – 2 °C as a result of the climate crisis, the report underlined that the necessary infrastructure should be prepared in our country for the use of recycled products.
Circular economy process started
Speaking on the subject, Vedat Kılıç, President of TÜDAM Recyclable Waste Materials Industrialists Association, said: “The world has clearly entered a circular economy process. Many international agreements, such as the European Green Deal, now require the use of recycled materials and this usage rate is increasing every year. Today, with sustainability efforts that have become a priority agenda item for almost all global brands, recycled raw materials have become a priority, and the recycling sector has become one of the most critical elements of supply chains.”
Main industry may become unable to export
Stating that the world has entered another phase with the circular economy, Kılıç said, “With the rules imposed by states and international organizations, as well as the binding targets of global brands, there is no possibility to compete in the market without using recycled raw materials. With the practice that came into force in the UK in April this year, businesses that put more than 10 tons of plastic on the market annually have to pay a tax of £ 200 per ton for the entire amount they put on the market if they do not use at least 30% recycled raw materials in their products. Such practices are binding for the relevant country as well as for companies exporting to those countries. As a matter of fact, companies exporting a product containing plastics from Turkey to the UK have to pay this tax if they do not use 30% recycled raw materials. Considering that these practices will become widespread rapidly, we may not be able to export without using recycled raw materials in the near future.”
OIZs look at the recycling sector like the boogeyman
TÜDAM President Vedat Kılıç stated that they have difficulty in getting licensed enterprises producing recycled raw materials to accept that they are an industry and said, “Until very recently, recycling facilities were among the facilities that could not be established in organized industrial zones (OIZ) according to the regulation. Although this extremely unfair practice was officially abolished, in practice, OIZ administrations still refrain from issuing licenses to licensed facilities within the OIZ. When we look at the direction the world is going, we, as the sector, frankly have difficulty understanding this attitude. On the one hand, the main industry, which demands recycled raw materials from the sector, sees the sector as a bogeyman when it comes to operating in OIZs.”
We must create a recycling industry
Emphasizing the need to establish a recycling industry in order to move Turkey’s main industry forward, Kılıç said: “Under the current circumstances, Turkey has no chance to miss the circular economy. Therefore, it is first and foremost a necessity for the main industry and the recycling industry to work together. In this direction, we need the support of the state, especially in spatial planning, for the establishment of a recycling industry. We believe that many supportive elements such as facilitating the sector to operate within OIZs, establishing specialized OIZs for recycling, SCT-free fuel, energy incentives, and cheap financing resources should be addressed urgently. On the other hand, we would like to reiterate once again that the fees collected from the marketers with the Recycling Participation Fee (GEKAP) practice, which entered into force in 2019, should only be used for the development of the sector and the maximum collection of waste in accordance with its purpose.”
Support to the sector will create much greater added value
Emphasizing that the recycling sector creates much more added value environmentally and economically than its own size, Vedat Kılıç said, “It is important to eliminate the deficiencies in the recycling sector with government support and incentives. When global brands or Turkey’s export champion sectors demand recycled raw materials, they expect to see businesses with the same corporate structure and technological workflow. Only when these conditions are met can recycling facilities be included in the supply chain. Therefore, any support provided for the industrialization of the sector will become a lever that will increase Turkey’s competitiveness in the world market. In order to do this, we need to make a correct planning by the public and private sectors acting together.”