The packaging industry, which managed to close the year 2021 with an export of 6.5 billion dollars with a 26 percent increase in value, started with growth in 2022. You can review the packaging industry report for 2021 here. In the first quarter of 2022, the sector grew by approximately 20 percent. Considering the sector figures, the Turkish packaging industry is the 16th largest packaging producer in the world and packaging consumption in our country increases by 5 percent every year.
Undoubtedly, the role of exports in the growth of the sector is undeniably large, but the growth has both foreign and domestic market dimensions. The data show that the packaging sector is a sector with foreign trade surplus. According to ASD data, the packaging sector gave a surplus of 2.7 billion dollars last year.
Packaging produces products that are used by almost all sectors and the amount of packaging consumed per capita in the world is around 105 kg per year. Today, the development level of countries naturally reflects on the packaging consumption. The packaging consumption per capita, which is 450 kg in developed countries, is 300 kg in Turkey. It is increasing at a rate of 5 percent annually. In the recent past, Turkey’s per capita packaging consumption was around 150 kg. Our country, which is currently in the 6th rank in packaging consumption, may rise to the 4th rank in a few years.
In addition, Turkey ranks 3rd in Europe as the industry that supplies ink to the packaging industry. Turkey comes after Germany and Italy in the ranking. The packaging industry has to produce with recycled materials in its current position. Raising awareness among manufacturers about packaging transformation is critical.
Recently, we see an increasing rate of recyclable materials in many consumer products, from shoes to clothes. In fact, this has become a sales strategy. Providing the same sensitivity from consumers in the packaging sector will quickly close our recycling gap.
