New PET Bottle-to-Bottle Recycling Plant in the Republic of Türkiye
Istanbul-based construction corporation Doğa has set up a PET recycling facility in Kırklareli and recently commissioned two Starlinger recoSTAR PET 165 HC iV+ PET recycling lines from Austria-based engineering firm Starlinger.
Operating under the name Doğapet, the recycling site is located in Kırklareli, in the Marmara province near the Bulgarian border. It features sustainable construction and utilizes renewable energy and resources. As reported, the recycling lines were commissioned during the fourth quarter of 2024 and reached a combined output of 3.6 tons of bottle-grade recycled PET pellets per hour, amounting to a total capacity of 28,000 tons per year. “The Starlinger PET bottle-to-bottle recycling process has been approved for food-grade applications by national and international authorities such as FDA and EFSA as well as by important brand owners.”
Stricter Regulations expected
According to Selçuk Gökhan Gerlikhan, General Manager of Doğapet, the company believes that the plastics recycling sector will become increasingly important and will attract significant investments, particularly in the bottle-to-bottle segment. “Regulations prescribing the use of raw materials obtained through recycling are coming into effect in more and more countries. We also expect regulations in Türkiye to be tightened within the framework of zero waste targets in the coming years.”
Starlinger’s food-grade PET recycling process has been approved by FDA, EFSA and many international brand owners (Photo: Doğapet)
Currently, in Türkiye, the use of bottle-grade recycled PET (rPET) produced through mechanical recycling for food applications is not allowed. Only rPET generated through chemical recycling can be used to create new beverage bottles or food containers. However, bureaucratic procedures permitting the use of mechanically recycled PET for bottle-to-bottle applications are expected to be finished in the course of 2025, together with the implementation of a deposit system for plastic bottles.
As underlined, Doğapet currently sources post-consumer PET bottles for recycling in Türkiye. Like in many other countries, plastic scrap collection and pre-sorting of the material is in the hands of the private sector, although the government is preparing to implement measures such as the aforementioned bottle deposit system. “The pre-sorting processes for used PET packaging in Türkiye are really good, and consequently also the quality of the material”, explained Gerlikhan. “In addition to the raw materials, which we currently source through the separate waste collection system, we will be able to obtain input material also through the PET bottle deposit system once it is in place. When we are ready to increase capacities, we will also process material from outside Türkiye if necessary.”
Doğapet is going to supply the bottle-grade rPET to global beverage and water companies that are important brands in their sectors. “We have made an investment at the most appropriate time in order to provide environmentally friendly solutions to changing needs in Türkiye”, said Selçuk Gerlikhan. “The demand for recycled, bottle-grade raw materials in Türkiye is high. We expect this demand to increase also in neighboring countries, especially in the European Union, due to the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive that will come into effect in 2025. As Doğa, we have high hopes in our PET bottle-to-bottle recycling project and want to continue our investments in this field according to the direction the sector takes.”
About Doğa
Founded in 1968, the corporation places a strong emphasis on sustainability – “Doğa” means “Nature.” It is diversified across various sectors, including construction, real estate, renewable energy, textiles production, and the defense industry. In 2023, the company expanded its portfolio by establishing Doğapet, which focuses on PET recycling.
dogapet.com.tr, starlinger.com
(Published in GLOBAL RECYCLING Magazine 1/2025, Page 13, Photos: Doğapet)
