Turkey’s Nationwide Textile Recycling Network via Post Offices: How Circular Economy Reshapes Textile Supply Chains

When old clothes are dropped into post office collection bins, a new industrial chain begins. Turkey has expanded its textile recycling network to all state postal outlets, enabling citizens from central Istanbul to remote Anatolian villages to deposit idle garments into a unified system. Behind this move is a national circular economy project that has been running for eight years: the Zero Waste Initiative.

Industrial Logic of the Recycling Network

Samed Ağılbaş, chairman of the Zero Waste Foundation, revealed that collected garments are first registered, then transported to sorting centers. Workers categorize items by type, fabric, condition, and reuse value, followed by uniform disinfection. Wearable clothing is distributed through social aid channels; unwearable textiles enter the recycling process. Partner companies donate new garments to the project, forming a closed loop of 'collection—sorting—donation—remanufacturing.'

From a textile industry perspective, this model addresses two core pain points: the cost of disposing of waste textiles and the clothing needs of underprivileged groups. PTT, as the state postal logistics network, naturally possesses nationwide infrastructure advantages, significantly reducing collection logistics costs. For Chinese textile clusters like Keqiao and Shengze, this approach of 'using public logistics networks for recycling' is worth studying—domestic courier outlets in China are far denser than Turkey's, yet the waste textile recycling rate remains below 15%.

Potential Impact on Global Textile Supply Chains

Turkey is the world's seventh-largest textile and apparel exporter, with exports exceeding $30 billion in 2025. This Zero Waste campaign is not just a domestic charity project; it could influence EU legislation on textile circular economy. The EU's Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation already requires textiles to be recyclable. As a neighboring country and key supplier to the EU, Turkey's national recycling infrastructure will ease the carbon footprint accounting pressure on its export products.

For Chinese fabric and garment buyers, this means that future imports of Turkish textiles may require proof of the product's life-cycle recycling pathway. Additionally, Turkey's composite model of 'government platform, corporate donations, public distribution' offers a replicable reference for domestic home textile and apparel brands exploring ESG practices.

Practical Recommendations

For Buyers - Evaluate Turkish suppliers' participation in the recycling system; prioritize partners already involved in the Zero Waste initiative to prepare for potential EU import recycling responsibility requirements. - Monitor Turkey's recycled fiber capacity: post-consumer recycled polyester and cotton from old clothes could become cost-effective alternative raw materials, especially for fast-fashion brands' sustainable lines.

For Foreign Trade Companies - Reference Turkey's model by partnering with domestic courier companies like China Post or SF Express to pilot 'courier point old-clothes recycling' services, reducing logistics costs in the recycling phase. - Proactively align with EU textile circular economy standards, integrating product disassembly and recycling design into development processes early, to avoid order losses due to regulatory changes in export destinations.