When Vanden Recycling opened its offices in Istanbul in July 2019, it was with a clear goal: to help raise Turkey’s recycling rates and promote the use of more recycled materials by its domestic plastic manufacturing market.
In that, it may be said to have succeeded. Despite launching operations in a new country just before the global pandemic hit, Vanden has gone from strength to strength, among others, opening up access to international markets for the trading of recycled resins and products made in Turkey.
Next to having moved into roomier accommodations, the company has also invested in a full technical lab within this office so extensive material testing, including identification of contaminants, can be carried out there.
The new lab enhances the technical capabilities available, said Global Technical Director, Beril Yesilirmak, boasting technology and equipment to understand the recycled plastic source, as well as to analyse and determine quality levels - a crucial element to finding the right outlets. Tests to determine polymer type and combination, melt flow analysis, density check, impurity analysis under heat aging, ash content and filler type analysis can all be conducted.
The Istanbul office continues to grow rapidly, the company reports. It is currently recruiting for a logistics coordinator who will support customers in receiving their products and build an effective logistics network from Turkey to the rest of the world. The company is also looking to add a new sales administrator to its team, who will support and drive sales as well as develop a diverse customer base for Vanden’s range of scrap and recycled plastics.
Vanden Recycling’s Turkish Managing Director, Derya Eksi, said that the fact that the company is active in diverse markets operates as a buffer and has allowed the company to expand and growth even throughout the pandemic.
“We operate in a number of markets and because of this, we can keep scrap materials moving, even when one market might close down for a season, or shipping slows down to manage legislation changes,” she explained.
Founded 17 years ago, Vanden Recycling reprocesses scrap plastics it collects from post-industrial waste streams into regrind and then sells that back for manufacturing. It also offers secure destruction and tolling services.