Our Industry will Play a Key Role in Transformation with Digital Product Passport
Ahmet Öksüz, Chairman of the Board of ITHIB, stated that the effects of climate change are becoming more and more evident and that there is an increase in legal regulations in this context, emphasizes that the ‘Ecodesign Regulation for Sustainable Products’, which will enter into force in the EU, will change the rules of the game.
Ahmet Öksüz, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Association (ITHIB), states that this new practice will increase sustainability in the textile and apparel industry and encourage better management of environmental impacts. Öksüz emphasizes that by tracking products throughout their life cycle, recycling processes will become more efficient and measures can be taken to increase circularity at the design stage.
“Demand for Sustainable Textile Products will Increase”
Pointing out that the demand for sustainable textile products will increase in the future, Öksüz states that products within the scope of circularity will play a fundamental role in the transformation of the sector by using fewer resources. Reminding that Turkiye is one of the few countries that can realize all stages from cotton production to ready-to-wear, Öksüz states that global demand contractions have been encountered in the past. Still, thanks to the cooperation of the private sector and the state, these difficulties have been overcome with strength. Stating that the Turkish textile and ready-to-wear sector aims to achieve a strong position in the global market with market diversification, innovation, sustainable production, and quality-oriented strategies by using its competitive advantages, Öksüz says that the demands for environmentally friendly production and reduction of carbon footprint have increased especially in EU markets: “In this context, the importance of close supply strategies is also increasing. Our location close to the EU market and our sustainable production processes create a serious competitive advantage.”
“Realistic Goal of Being in the Top Three in the Global Market”
According to Öksüz, Turkiye has overtaken South Korea to become the world’s fifth-largest textile exporter and producer, and with its strong production infrastructure, human capital, and modern production facilities, Turkiye’s goal of ranking among the top three in the global textile market is quite realistic and achievable. Öksüz says that to make this success permanent, companies should focus more on R&D, innovation, and sustainability studies and that the importance of branding is increasing day by day. “We can increase our competitiveness by producing value-added, environmentally sensitive products,” says Öksüz and continues as follows: “We have reached our natural limit with current methods and tools. Therefore, we now need to move towards direct branded exports, especially by acquiring global brands and partnering with global brands.”
