About Mehmed Evyap
Mehmed Evyap, chairman of Evyap Holding, spoke at the 8th PAGEV Plastic Packaging Congress on June 25, 2025, where he discussed challenges related to recycled materials. He stated that the company's primary issue is the cost and accessibility of recycled materials, and noted that while consumers in Turkey express enthusiasm for sustainability and the environment, they are not yet willing to pay more for it. He also observed that production costs in Turkey have risen rapidly in dollar terms over the past five years, and that the company has responded by investing in high-speed filling machinery to improve efficiency. Evyap emphasized the need for flexibility and capacity from plastic packaging suppliers to meet fluctuating demand driven by promotions and disruptions in global markets.
At the 7th International Cosmetics Congress in December 2023, Evyap discussed the trend of commoditization across industries, stating that products and services are becoming increasingly similar, leading to pricing difficulties and narrowing profit margins. He advised young people seeking a career in cosmetics to approach the field with passion and dedication, describing it as a colorful and enjoyable profession where one can see the tangible results of their work.
Source: AI-verified profile updated from Mehmed Evyap's recent appearances.
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Transcript (7 segments)
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Moderator0:00
I would like to give the floor first to Mr. Mehmed Evyap. As you know, Evyap is a large plastic packaging consumer with facilities both in Turkey and abroad, and an exporter of finished products. Mr. Mehmed, I would first like to ask: as a plastic packaging consumer with various facilities in Turkey and abroad, what do you expect from plastic packaging manufacturers regarding recycling in light of foreign regulations? Do you see the necessary quality of recycled raw materials and technical levels in Turkey to compete in export markets? When exporting, have you made any changes to your packaging or is there a trend in this regard? Could you briefly summarize, please?
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Mehmed Evyap1:19
Yes, Mr. Chairman. Is the microphone on? Good morning everyone, I greet you all. Thank you to the chairmen for the invitation. We are a personal care company that consumes plastic in important categories in Turkey and abroad. We have intentions and projects on sustainability and recycling. But your question hits the nail on the head, Hamdi Bey. Our number one problem is the cost and accessibility of recycled material. I said this before the pandemic: when we talk about sustainability, everyone is enthusiastic. But if you ask the consumer, 'Are you ready to pay 2 lira more for the planet?' (and at that time 2 lira was a lot; now let's say 20 lira), in our country and region, that willingness is not there yet. In developed Western countries, it is mainstream. I'll give an example from Egypt, where we have a factory. The daily budget for a low-income family is a few dollars. So the reality is that as a plastic-consuming sector, we need two things: either recycled material becomes more widespread and cheaper, or regulators force the entire industry. But Turkey is struggling with inflation and high interest rates. So we need to facilitate access to recycled material.
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Moderator5:46
Mr. Evyap, can I ask you to come back? As an important exporter and foreign market player, what exactly do you want from Turkish plastic packaging manufacturers? Can you list them in 3 or 4 points?
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Mehmed Evyap6:03
Of course. First of all, we have witnessed a change in Turkey in recent years. Production costs in dollar terms have risen rapidly. So neither we nor you have the same cost structure as 5 years ago. We all need to increase efficiency. We have invested in high-speed filling machines, but those require precision in materials. We couldn't find that precision, so bottles had to become thicker, offsetting some efficiency gains. So we have two paths. This is our country; most of our market is here. We need to produce with faster, more automated machines to stay competitive. For Evyap, we need the combination of high-speed machine and thin bottle.
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Moderator8:22
Mr. Evyap, can we then understand that your expectation applies to export markets and that Turkish plastic packaging manufacturers need to innovate in technology and vision accordingly?
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Mehmed Evyap8:39
Mr. Chairman, I'm speaking on average, but to be competitive in export markets you need cost competitiveness. Currently, exporters are having a competitiveness problem. We need more automation, faster machines, and a supporting supplier ecosystem. Another issue: we have faced many disruptive events recently – logistics crises, wars, etc. Demand is no longer balanced and regular. We need flexibility and capacity. In the domestic market, discount stores are becoming very important. They sell through promotions. The demand from our partners is very volatile; for example, they do a promotion and we sell 3 million deodorants. Our partners in the ecosystem need to be ready for that. So we need to increase flexibility through more capacity investment.
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Moderator12:09
Thank you very much, Mr. Evyap, for sharing your experiences.
