Focusing on Sustainability, Turkish Textile Differs From Its Competitors
The Turkish textile industry, which focuses on sustainability studies; It took its place in the Circular Textile Days, which was organized for the fourth time this year in cooperation with the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Istanbul and ITHIB.
Mentioning that field visits were carried out simultaneously with the event in the Netherlands, ITHIB Board Members said; They stated that the Turkish textile industry draws attention with its circular economy, zero waste policies and sustainability steps.
Circular Textile Days, which emphasizes the strong sustainability steps taken by Turkey in the textile industry, was held for the fourth time this year in the Netherlands between 15-19 September 2024. The event, which was held in cooperation with the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Istanbul and the Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Association (ITHIB), was attended by nearly 40 company representatives, including ITHIB Board Members Sultan Tepe and Necat Altın, Chairwoman of the Board of Uludağ Textile Exporters’ Association (UTİB) Pınar Taşdelen Engin, Chairman of the Board of Aegean Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Association (ETHIB) Jak Eskinazi, Chairman of the Board of Aegean Ready-to-Wear and Apparel Exporters’ Association (EHKIB) Burak Sertbaş, and representatives of textile and ready-to-wear exporters’ associations. In addition to the circular and green transformation process of the Turkish textile industry, field studies were also carried out at the event, where the sustainability vision, actions and projects of the sector were shared. On the first day, the Turkish delegation visited Erdotex and listened to the presentations made by the Dutch Enterprise Office (RVO), Hedgehog company 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 in the textile sector of the Netherlands on site.
“Turkey Stands Out in the Circular Economy”
Stating that ITHIB took its place in the event as the only Turkish institution with a stand, ITHIB Board Member Necat Altın, who explained the sustainability efforts of the Turkish textile industry in the Turkey panel; He noted that the weight of sustainability and circular economy in the world textile industry is increasing day by day and that Turkish textile has taken very important steps on this path. Stating that the issue of sustainability has become a focal point for the textile industry, Altın 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.
Stating that steps such as 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 Commerce are preparing the sector for a more sustainable future, ITHIB Board Member Sultan Tepe said: “The increasing use of renewable energy in Turkey and the support provided by banks to renewable energy are important for Turkish textile companies in this field It enables him to make investments. Our companies are focused on waste reduction and circular economy. The Turkish textile industry uses methods suitable for the circular economy with many companies that produce with the principle of zero waste. In this way, our sustainability-oriented projects and investments are increasing day by day. Awareness of sustainability and investments make us stand out from competing countries. We are preparing our industry for the future by adopting social and environmental practices at international standards.”
“It Should Belong to All Stakeholders, Not Just Producers”
Noting that the Turkish textile industry is the fifth largest supplier in the world and the second largest supplier in the EU, Necat Altın pointed out that the Turkish textile industry is the first sector to announce its sustainability action plan. Stating that the circular economy journey of the sector continues uninterruptedly; however, there are some issues that challenge them and create unfair competition, Altın noted that only placing the burden on producers has an extremely negative impact on the process. Altın said; “This is a journey in which not only manufacturers, but also suppliers, brands, all stakeholders such as the public and universities should act together. Each brand has more than 40 social compliance and environmental audit processes and certifications, along with its own audits. While the manufacturer is trying to achieve the same sustainability goal, it wastes time with different audits and its costs increase. Instead of contributing to sustainability goals, this situation causes manufacturers to get tired of 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 the sustainable development goals, we need much more comprehensive and solution-oriented collaborations that understand each other and decisions that truly support sustainability.”
