2016 Total Packaging Market Size (million units):

47,203

2011-16 Total Packaging Historic CAGR:

4.9%

2016-21 Total Packaging Forecast CAGR:

4.5%

• The total Turkish packaging industry, sized at over 47 bn units in 2016, is expected to see strong growth.
• Food and beverage packaging continues to dominate packaging, but dog and cat food packaging presents a strong niche growth opportunity.
• Flexible packaging continues to lead in size, and rigid plastic ranks second.

• The poor performance of the Turkish economy during 2015 led to a consistent devaluation of the lira, which made packaging more expensive. Packaging manufacturers faced higher costs for imported inputs, while the price of imported packaging materials rose sharply. This led many brand owners to reassess their use of packaging in an effort to economize and avoid having to raise the unit prices of their products.
• Stand-up pouches are now emerging as a popular pack type in most fmcg industries as branded players aim to differentiate their products at a time of increasing interest in private label. In packaged food, pouches are becoming especially prominent in prepared baby food, savoury snacks and confectionery.
• Although glass bottles and metal beverage cans remain by far the most important pack types in beer, the use of metal beer bottles doubled over the course of 2016.
• Smaller pack sizes for home care products are becoming more popular as formulas become more concentrated.

• Strict regulation of alcoholic drinks packaging: labelling must be completely accurate and not mislead the consumer in terms of the product’s nature, features, components, quantity, best before date, source country or the production method. The labelling should not in any way state anything that the product does not bear. The content of the labelling must be clear and easy to understand by the consumers. The labelling cannot claim that a product has any health benefits or have effect in terms of treating or preventing an illness of disease.
• Waste control regulations: The Packaging and Packaging Waste Control Regulations came into force in January 2005 and were subsequently amended in 2011. These regulations bring Turkey’s packaging waste legislation into line with EU Directive 94/62/EC. The primary aim of these pieces of legislation is to reduce the amount of packaging waste sent to landfills, and it applies to all packaging materials, including plastics, metals, glass, paper/cardboard and composites. The law also introduced specific recovery targets for all packaging, regardless of whether it is of domestic or industrial origin.
• Sales of unpackaged cheese are prohibited: As of January 1, 2016, the sale of unpackaged cheese is illegal in Turkey. Furthermore, cheese packaging labels must specify the production and expiration dates of the products.

• Packaging must be recyclable: Packaging waste control legislation was enacted by the Ministry of Environment in 2011 and this has banned the use of materials that cannot be recycled in product packaging.
• Environmental awareness rises: In recent years, Turkish consumers have become more aware of the environmental threat of posed by packaging, and many people are demanding more environmentally friendly forms of packaging. As consumers have become more interested in the recyclability of packaging and sustainable production, manufacturers in several fmcg industries have begun to invest in packaging which is sustainable and/or recyclable.
• Recycling is becoming more common: Turkey’s packaging and packaging waste management legislation controls all processes of all types of packaging waste and their recycling processes. Manufacturers are increasingly focusing on the separation of waste at source and increasing their recycling rate. In addition, this is frequently mentioned in marketing and communication campaigns as companies seek to tap into the rising environmental awareness among consumers. In particular, paper-based packaging has seen the most dynamic increase in recycling rate, whilst the recycling rates of all types of packaging materials have experienced marked rises in recent years.

• Seasonality affects alcoholics drink packaging: 2016 saw alcoholic drinks producers seeking to attract the attention of consumers by using packaging designs that reflect the season of the year. Examples included the designs on glass bottles for beer, spirits and wine for the New Year and summer seasons. In addition, manufacturers have started using tagging on the packaging for special occasions such as heart shapes for St. Valentine’s Day.
• QR codes become more prominent: Turkey’s large generation of young people are generally very interested in interacting with the online world and this led to the increased the use of QR codes in food packaging during the review period. Turkish consumers are becoming more health conscious and it is important for many people to know the ingredients of the products they are consuming and QR codes on packaging is an instant source of information in this respect.