With the acceleration of industrialization, consumption patterns and environmental waste are increasing rapidly. Many countries have started to attach more importance to the concept of "sustainability" in order to take the necessary measures. As in all modern industries, sustainability is considered as one of the important topics on the agenda of textile manufacturers in Kahramanmaraş.
KMTSO President Şahin Balcıoğlu, Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters Association (İTHİB) President Ahmet Öksüz, KMTSO Board Member Ertuğrul Tanrıverdi, TOBB Kahramanmaraş Young Entrepreneurs Board President Aykut Balcıoğlu, H&M European Region Sustainability Manager Hülya Sevindik Özyiğit and many textile and apparel company representatives marked their attendance.
Seven Hundred and Twenty Thousand Tons of Yarn Production
Speaking at the opening speech of the program, KMTSO President Şahin Balcıoğlu gave information about the economy of Kahramanmaraş and the textile sector and said that the financial power of the city is 31 billion TL and in this portion the share of the industry is nearly 40%. Balcıoğlu said the following, “In the textile sector, which is the biggest industry in the city, with the annual production of 720 thousand tons of yarn, 475 million meters of woven fabric, 244 million meters of denim, 300 thousand tons of knitted fabric and 46 million pieces of garments are noted. We have a share of 36% in spinning, 15% in woven fabric, 30% in denim fabric and 15% in knitted fabric. Our textile and ready-to-wear is alone accountable for 70% of one billion dollar worth of exports.’’
Stating that Kahramanmaraş is among the few cities that increased its employment despite the pandemic, Balcıoğlu underlined that production is carried out with the main objectives of environmentally friendly apparels, renewable energy alternatives and minimal water use in textile and ready-to-wear industries.
Organic Cotton: Better Cotton
Balcıoğlu said, “Organic cotton, Better Cotton, recycled fiber and alike raw materials sustainable all just a beginning in this issue. With the Sustainable Future principle, we derive our energy from renewable sources in textile and ready-to-wear. Our most important agenda is the adaptation of technologies to textile finishing with water free dyeing machines, which minimize water usage, do not harm the environment and reduce costs. "
Stating that Kahramanmaraş has increased its power in renewable energy with private sector investments in the fields of hydraulics, solar and wind, Balcıoğlu said, “We depend on renewable sources to generate energy.
Balcıoğlu continued his speech with the following, "Kahramanmaraş textile manufacturers in Turkey by signing a policy, launched the Better Cotton production. In Kahramanmaraş, 45 textile manufacturers have Better Cotton accounts. Three out of ten companies are located in Turkey, Kahramanmaraş that are buying Better Cotton. Based on the production figures shared by the Better Cotton in the parameters of licensees in 2020, Kahramanmaraş ranked amongst the leading seven cities for fine quality cotton growth. This year in an area of 400 ha. more than 2 thousand tons of seed cotton was produced. Kahramanmaraş has made a difference in Africa Certification Program with its reputation. The Cotton Made in Africa certification program, whose aim is to support people through trade rather than donation to improve the living and working conditions of small farmers in Africa and to protect the environment has been carried out successfully Kahramanmaraş. Amongst them, 19 companies from Turkey and 6 of them are from 6 Kahramanmaraş."
Environment Friendly Raw MaterialEmphasizing that traceable and sustainable fibers are used in the textile sector in Kahramanmaraş, KMTSO President Şahin Balcıoğlu said, “In line with the sustainability and transparency strategies that have gained importance in the textile and fashion industry in recent years, Kahramanmaraş textile manufacturers prefer more sustainable, traceable, environmentally friendly raw materials / products in all their procurement and production processes. Textile manufacturers in Kahramanmaraş signify a manufacturing capability that is more respectful to the environment and more human-oriented by reducing the use of natural fibers. "
Green Consensus
İTHİB President Ahmet Orphan who participated the program with video conference, gives some statistical figures as such textile and raw material exports by %5, denim fabrics by %13, yarn by 8% recorded in Kahramanmaraş.
Orphans continued his speech as follows, "In the account of Kahramanmaraş, known as the 5th largest textile and raw material exporters, and with H & M cooperation, we have the utmost pleasure to be evaluated within sustainability vision in the industry. We always emphasize on this in every platform with a great pride. Our sector, together with the ready-to-wear sector, ranks first in the manufacturing industry with a production value of 341 billion TL and an employment of over 1 million. Besides, we have the second ranking in exports in Turkey with over $ 26 billion. We are the world's 6th largest exporter and the EU's 3rd largest exporter. We are the second only in textile. To the EU; in our home textile, woven fabric, and denim fabric and yarn sectors; we export with a higher added value in comparison to EU and unit price it reflects in goods. On one hand, our exports to Turkey in general capture 0.9% from the world and on the other, our sector access 3% of the world portion 15.4% of EU’s share. However, in today's world where competitiveness is rapidly increasing, we have to achieve new success stories in order to further increase our global power. Because all issues related to sustainability such as circular economy, water free textiles, recycling, compliance with social compliance criteria, and environment, which are an added value in our industry today, will be a necessity for our industry to export to global brands in the very near future.
Öksüz stated that today many global brands oblige all textile products to have sustainability standards by 2025 and said, “Our biggest export market, EU, in line with its goal of becoming a carbon-neutral continent by 2050, it will adopt the European Green Deal. Within the scope of the Green Consensus, our textile and ready-to-wear sector is one of the sectors that will be most affected by the border carbon regulation mechanism. So in the near future, the quality of the product will be measured by how sustainable it is now. ”
"We Aim to Reduce Carbon Footprint"
Explaining that İTHİB, together with İHKİB, are working to implement the EU-funded IPA III project within the framework of the EU Green Consensus, Öksüz said, “With the project we are bringing in, we aim to reduce the carbon footprint in our sector. In addition, we go through every endeavor from our fabric design competition to our fairs on the theme of sustainability. In addition, we take initiatives from our Ministry to establish a separate support mechanism for the sustainability policies of our sector. We aim to spread the concepts such as sustainability, traceability, transparency, recycling and circular economy to the base in our sector, and to be a pioneer in sustainability as we are a pioneer in exports. Therefore, we support all kinds of initiatives regarding sustainability in our sector, and we also care about our conference held today with your intense participation. "
Hülya Sevindik Özyiğit, H&M European Region Sustainability Manager, made a presentation with detailed information to the participants. Özyiğit said, “Thank you very much for sharing such valuable information. I think very important data has been shared, and what I saw, which is very gratifying, which I will share with you soon, is actually very harmonious, very parallel studies at all points mentioned in the H&M sustainability strategy have already started and we have also seen that they are at a very good point. 2020 was a difficult year, but with the core belief that every challenge brings positive results with it, I want to start the presentation by hoping that everyone is in good health and that we can come out of the difficult days as soon as possible in the most positive way. First of all, my presentation consists of H&M Group brands and generally H&M stands out. Since it has a very old history dating back to 1947. However, I would like to point out that the strategy I will talk about in the presentation is the common strategy of H&M and all other group companies, and that each brand's own customer is different in line with its own DNA and brand DNA, as well as the basic principles are common in the strategy.’’ said in the forum.
