The event, organized in collaboration with the Consulate General of the Netherlands in İstanbul and the İstanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters' Association (İTHİB), was attended by İTHİB Board Members Sultan Tepe and Necat Altın, UTİB Board of Chairmain Pınar Taşdelen Engin, ETHİB Board of Chairmain Jak Eskinazi, EHKİB Board of Chairmain Burak Sertbaş, and nearly 40 company representatives from Textile and Ready-to-Wear Exporters' Associations. In addition to the circular and green transformation process of the Turkish textile sector; the sustainability vision, actions and projects of the sector were presented at the event where field studies were also carried out. The Turkish delegation visited Erdotex on the first day and attended to presentations made by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), Hedgehog and United Repair Center. On the second day of the event, the participating companies visited Spinning Jenny, Saxcell and Schijvens companies and examined the circular economy studies on site in the textile sector in the Netherlands.
Turkey Stands Out in Circular Economy
İTHİB Board Member Necat Altın, whom stated that İTHİB participated in the event as the only Turkish institution with a stand and made a presentation on the sustainability efforts of the Turkish textile sector in the Turkey panel, noted that the weight of sustainability and circular economy in the global textile sector is increasing day by day and that Turkish textiles is taking very important steps in this direction. Altın, whom stated that the issue of sustainability has become a focal point for the textile sector, underlined that many companies in the sector attach great importance to sustainable practices by investing in production methods suitable for the zero waste principle and circular economy.
İTHİB Board Member Sultan Tepe, whom stated that the zero waste policy of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, the sustainable financing framework of the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, and the Green Deal Action Plan of the Ministry of Trade are preparing the sector for a more sustainable future, said the following; “The increasing use of renewable energy in Turkey and the support provided by banks for renewable energy are enabling Turkish textile companies to make valuable investments in this field. Our companies are focused on waste reduction and circular economy. The Turkish textile sector applies methods suitable for the circular economy with many companies that produce with the principle of zero waste. In this way, our sustainability-focused projects and investments are increasing day by day. The awareness and investments made on sustainability also allow us to differentiate ourselves from our global competitors. We are making our industry ready for the future by adopting social and environmental practices at international standards.”
‘’The Responsibility Both Lies with the Manufacturer and Stakeholder’’
While noting that the Turkish textile sector is the world’s fifth largest supplier and the EU’s second largest supplier, Necat Altın drew attention to the fact that the Turkish textile sector is the first sector to announce its sustainability action plan. While stating that the sector’s circular economy journey continues uninterruptedly, but that there are also some issues that creates a challenge and open path to unfair competition, Altın noted that putting the burden only on manufacturers has an extremely negative impact on the process. Altın said, “This issue is a common challenge which should be dealt by both the manufacturer and every stakeholder which concerning suppliers, brands, the public, and universities. Each brand has over 40 social compliance and environmental audit processes and certifications, along with its own audits. While trying to achieve the same sustainability goal, manufacturers suffer time losses with different audits and their costs increase. Instead of contributing to sustainability goals, this situation causes producers to become exhausted from the processes and spend their resources on audit processes without being able to use them for their main business. In order to ensure the continuity of sustainable development goals, we need much more comprehensive and mutually understanding solution-oriented collaborations and decisions that truly support sustainability."
