Kimya ve Plastik Sektöründe Çevresel Sürdürülebilirlik Kapsamında Döngüsel Ekonomi Uygulamaları: Bulgular ve Değerlendirmeler

Abstract

Bu çalışma, Türkiye’de kimya ve plastik sektöründe faaliyet gösteren işletmelerin döngüsel ekonomi (DE) stratejilerini çevresel sürdürülebilirlik bağlamında nasıl benimsediğini ve kurumsal raporlarda nasıl yansıttığını incelemektedir. Yüksek enerji ve kaynak tüketimi, kimyasal atık üretimi ve fosil temelli üretim süreçleri nedeniyle çevresel etkileri yüksek olan bu sektör, döngüsel ekonomi ilkeleri doğrultusunda yeniden yapılandırılmaya ihtiyaç duymaktadır. Araştırma kapsamında, Borsa İstanbul’da işlem gören ve 2019–2024 yılları arasında sürdürülebilirlik, entegre veya faaliyet raporu yayımlamış olan kimya ve plastik sektörüne ait sekiz işletme örneklem olarak seçilmiştir. Bu işletmelerin raporları, raporlarda döngüsel ekonomi uygulamalarına sistematik ve somut biçimde yer verilmesi kriterine göre belirlenmiştir. Veri analizi süreci, MAXQDA 2024 Analytics Pro yazılımı kullanılarak yürütülmüş; raporlar nitel içerik analizi yöntemiyle kodlanmış ve değerlendirilmiştir. Analiz kapsamında 12 ana tema ve 78 alt kategoriye dayalı bir kod sistemi geliştirilmiş, toplamda 3.400 içerik frekansı tanımlanmıştır. Kodlama sisteminde geri dönüşüm, atık yönetimi, kaynak verimliliği, yaşam döngüsü, çevresel maliyetler, emisyon açıklamaları ve biyolojik-teknik döngüler gibi temalar öne çıkmıştır. Elde edilen bulgular, incelenen işletmelerin çevresel sürdürülebilirliğe yönelik yaklaşımlarının genellikle kaynak verimliliği, enerji tasarrufu ve yasal uyum odaklı olduğunu göstermektedir. Bu çalışma hem politika yapıcılara hem de sektör temsilcilerine stratejik yol haritası sunarken, ileri düzey döngüsel uygulamaların geliştirilmesi açısından da gelecekteki araştırmalara katkı sağlamaktadır.

Keywords

• Döngüsel ekonomi
• çevresel sürdürülebilirlik
• kaynak verimliliği
• atık yönetimi
• geri dönüşüm stratejileri

Circular Economy Practices Within the Scope of Environmental Sustainability in the Chemical and Plastic Industry: Findings and Evaluations

Abstract

This study examines how companies operating in Turkey's chemical and plastic sectors adopt and report circular economy (CE) strategies within the framework of environmental sustainability. Given the sector's high levels of energy and resource consumption, chemical waste generation, and dependence on fossil-based production processes, it holds critical environmental significance and requires restructuring in line with CE principles. Within the scope of the study, qualitative content analysis was conducted on sustainability, integrated, and annual reports published by eight companies listed on Borsa Istanbul between 2019 and 2024. Using MAXQDA software, 12 main codes and 78 sub-codes were generated, resulting in a total of 3,400 coding frequencies. The coding structure prioritized themes such as recycling, waste management, resource efficiency, life cycle perspective, environmental costs, emission disclosures, and biological-technical cycles. The findings reveal that corporate strategies related to environmental sustainability are primarily focused on resource efficiency, energy savings, and regulatory compliance. Furthermore, the research provides valuable insights and a strategic roadmap for both policymakers and sector stakeholders. It also sets the stage for future studies aimed at advancing circular practices in high-impact industrial sectors.

Keywords

• Circular economy
• environmental sustainability
• resource efficiency
• waste management
• recycling strategies

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