In addition to its economic impact, Özgörkey Holding considers ESG performance of its investments as a critical success factor and places sustainability philosophy at the core of its operations.
We are aware of the big impact we can create in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in our main industries including packaging, plastics, and agriculture and improve our operations towards this end.
We support the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and we are committed to making the UN Global Compact and its principles part of the strategy, culture and day-to-day operations of our company.
Our subsidiaries in the flexible and rigid packaging sector, Etapak Packaging and Etap Plastic, are signatories of the United Nations Global Compact.
Anadolu Etap, which is the largest fresh fruit and juice concentrate producer in Turkey, and Etap Enjeksiyon, a leading player in manufacturing crates, pallets and containers are UN global Compact signatories.
Anadolu Etap is a proud recipient of the Gold Award - Environmental and Social Best Practice in EBRD Sustainability Awards 2021.
We are proud to share that Etapak Baskı ve Ambalaj Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. ("Etapak Packaging") and Etap Enjeksiyon Plastik Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. (Etap Plastic) have reaffirmed their commitment to sustainability. As of 2021, our subsidiaries have decided to support the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact and have joined the Turkish local network established under the name United Nations Turkey Global Compact Signatories Association. We persist in our efforts and progress with resolute determination in this area.
We conduct our sustainability efforts under the leadership of the Sustainability Committee, comprised of our board members, together with our operations team called the Sustainability Task Force, consisting of members representing various departments, to implement our decisions. We categorized our priorities, identified through workshops involving our middle and upper-level managers from various disciplines, as well as feedback from stakeholders, under the following headings:
- Energy and Emissions
- Raw Materials and Supplies
- Occupational Health and Safety
- Economic Performance
- Sustainable Supply Chain
- Business Ethics and Anti-Corruption
- Equal Opportunity and Diversity
- Human Rights
The installation of the Etapak Solvent Recovery Unit serves as a critically important measure in our efforts to mitigate emissions. The diluent solvent employed in the printing process and application of quality fluids during production within our facility was absorbed and collected at the machine chimney outlets, where it undergoes conversion into a fluid state. The recovered solvent was made suitable for reutilization in production following a series of pre-treatment and separation processes. Furthermore, the Solvent Recovery Unit underwent a thorough examination concerning its water and energy footprints, and through the implementation of process enhancements, significant improvements were achieved in the amounts per recovered solvent in terms of water, electricity, natural gas, and nitrogen usage in comparison to last year.
Our environmental policy is founded on the principle of the 3R (Reduce-Reuse-Recycle) approach, which aims to mitigate our environmental impact. To reduce our carbon emissions, we meet 10% of the electricity needs of our Etapak factories and 100% of the electricity needs of our Etap factory from renewable energy sources.
An integral aspect of our sustainability efforts involves placing a high priority on the welfare of our employees and ensuring occupational health and safety. Etapak was granted the Happy Place to Work certificate in recognition of the research conducted to assess employee satisfaction. At both companies, the employees were trained to enhance employee awareness of occupational health and safety, and studies were conducted to cultivate a behavioral occupational safety culture with the aim of attaining the zero accident target. Within our organization, where the ratio of female employees in white-collar positions is 44%, the ratio of blue-collar female employees is 9%, the ratio of female managers is 35%, and the ratio of female board member is 60%, the Human Resources recruitment policy, wage policy, social rights procedure, and talent management procedures have been reviewed and revised to ensure the sustainability of the favorable conditions of female employees regarding equal remuneration, fair employment, equal opportunities, and equal rights. To ensure that all employees, regardless of gender, can express their perspectives in the workplace, we have granted them union rights and established communication channels such as a suggestion system and ethics line to facilitate the expression of opinions, suggestions, and complaints. An Ethics Committee was established to combat all conceivable forms of corruption, abuse, and prevent ethical violations, and all employees have been duly informed through training sessions.
We share our annual development report outlining our organizational goals and strategies, which align with those of the UN Global Compact commencing in the upcoming year, in a way that will demonstrate the efforts we have made in each area and the progress we have achieved in a reliable and transparent manner. We are aware that we have many more steps to take on this path, and we remain steadfast in our efforts and reaffirm our commitment to fulfilling our responsibilities.
Best Regards,
Armağan Özgörkey
Chairman of the Board of Directors & CEO