The “Plastics Industry SWOT Analysis Workshop Findings Report,” prepared in collaboration between the Istanbul Kültür University Sustainable Development Center (SÜRKAM) and the Sustainable Education Development and Excellence Association (SEGM), has been published. Within the scope of the “Corporate Sustainability and Sectoral Transformation Meetings,” the workshop report addresses the sustainability transformation of the plastics industry through environmental, social, and governance dimensions. According to the report, the Türkiye plastics industry is among the leading sectors of the national economy, with approximately 14,000 manufacturers, over 300,000 direct employees, and more than 1 million total employment. The report states that the sector’s annual exports exceed 10 billion dollars and that it has the second-largest plastic processing capacity in Europe. The report highlights the sector’s strong production infrastructure, flexible manufacturing capability, and adaptability to technology as key advantages. Automation, R&D, and an extensive supply network stand out as factors supporting its competitiveness. Policy and governance gaps, limited financing mechanisms to support sustainability transformation, and uncertainties in regulatory compliance processes are identified as the main challenges facing the sector. In particular, the report notes that access to finance issues for SMEs affect the pace of transformation. Priority transformation areas identified in the report include strengthening circular economy infrastructure, carbon management and energy efficiency, digitalization and data-driven management, sustainable product design, value-added production, sectoral perception management, and human resource transformation. It is also emphasized that the European Green Deal, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), and increasing certification obligations will have direct impacts on the sector. The report concludes that despite the sector’s strong production and technological infrastructure, governance, financing, data management, and regulatory compliance capacity must be developed together to accelerate sustainability transformation. Prof. Dr. Burcu Yavuz Tiftikçigil, Vice Rector of Istanbul Kültür University and Director of SÜRKAM, stated that sustainability is no longer merely a corporate preference but has become a determining factor in competitiveness and access to finance. Prof. Dr. Tiftikçigil summarized their collaboration with the Sustainable Education Development and Excellence Association as follows: “The Plastics Industry SWOT Analysis Workshop Findings Report is the first output of a productive collaboration. It is also the first outcome of the Corporate Sustainability and Sectoral Transformation Meetings we initiated within the scope of our protocol with SEGM. Within this collaboration, we aim to go beyond raising awareness in the field of sustainability and establish a continuous, systematic, and outcome-oriented platform. Each of the planned meetings will focus on a different sector; as a result of multidimensional evaluations carried out with the participation of sector representatives, academia, and relevant stakeholders, comprehensive analyses and reports revealing the sustainability performance of each sector will be prepared.” Çağlar Çabuk, Chairperson of the Board of SEGM, emphasized that sustainability has become a fundamental component of strategic governance, risk management, and value chain optimization, and stated that in order for the plastics industry to maintain its current production strength, it is necessary to reduce carbon intensity, increase resource efficiency, and integrate circular economy principles into business models. Ömer Karadeniz, Chairperson of the Board of PLASFED, stated in the report that the plastics industry is one of the strategic components of Türkiye’s industry with its production capability, technological adaptability, and wide range of applications. Karadeniz emphasized that sustainability transformation in the sector is not only a technical process but also requires a multidimensional approach including regulatory compliance, access to finance, data-driven management, and public perception. |