ASD – PACKAGING MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION IN TURKEY
1992 - 2008: Serving the Turkish Packaging Industry for 16 years...

Proud of completing its 16th year in business!

ASD – Packaging Manufacturers Association in Turkey which brings together important packaging manufacturers in Turkey was established in 1992 with the purposes of:

195 members of ASD – Packaging Manufacturers Association in Turkey from 190 companies as of July 2008 can be grouped according to the main packaging material as follows; 

Thus, ASD – Packaging Manufacturers Association in Turkey has members that are active in every branch of the packaging sector in Turkey.

ASD has been performing effective tasks in the sector. We can group them under the following titles:

Ambalaj Bülteni – The Packaging Bulletin: This magazine that is published bimonthly in Turkish and in English has an intensely professional content and is distributed to about 3.000 people including top executives and technical and administrative representatives of companies that produce and use packaging, public organisations related to packaging, people and organisations that carry out training and academic work. The magazine which includes both translations and original articles from domestic and foreign sources is delivered to certain addresses and distributed in related domestic and foreign exhibitions and similar places. The number of printed and delivered magazines can rise up to 7.000 at times when there are a high number of exhibitions. Ambalaj Bulteni – The Packaging Bulletin includes sector news as well as technical subjects, environmental subjects, legislation, design and many other subjects from domestic and foreign sources.  Anyone can subscribe for a price for the bulletin which is sent to ASD members and selected lists free of charge.

Turkish Packaging Industry Catalogue: This data bank which is issued in CD format contains all contact information, including internet information, and products of about 2,650 large, medium and small-sized packaging producers. In the CD, where it is possible to search for product and producer using key words, there is also the chance of viewing members’ websites even when off-line, that is, not connected to internet. Catalogue information includes the packaging companies in the member lists obtained from the Chambers of Commerce and Industry from all over Turkey, participants of packaging exhibitions and packaging-related exhibitions in Turkey, members of associations working in the packaging sector, those who send us information about themselves through our website or because of any other relation, or those that we have found out coincidentally. These lists are being revised at intervals of 5 – 6 months either through telephone calls or using the notices of change that have been received during the year. This catalogue which can be obtained by mail order is sent free of charge to the foreign trade representatives abroad. 

Turkish Packaging Industry Report: For the last five years, we have been publishing an annual report that includes information about the Turkish packaging sector obtained from various sources. This report, which is prepared both in Turkish and in English, includes quantity and quality information about the products that have been produced in the Turkish packaging sector, some statistics, and names of certain producers. The report which we announce during the packaging exhibition in principle is then distributed in Turkish and in English in domestic and foreign exhibitions. 

General information service: For the members who ask for information, domestic and foreign sources are being scanned and the information and research results obtained from these sources are first sent to the member who had asked for it and then to the other members through the bulletin. Our members can access via our association to the databank of Pira International that includes more than 700.000 documents about packaging. Besides our members, information requests of people who contact our association by telephone, electronic mail or other means are processed as soon as possible.  These requests which are generally made for the producer of a certain product are answered using the lists from the Packaging Industry catalogue. Besides producer enquiries, questions about technical and market information about packaging as well as about the applicable legislation¬ are answered quickly using the existing sources and our experiences. Our efforts are primarily focused on requests from our members, but inquiries from other people and organisations are answered as well. Individual work that we think may be interesting for our members are consequently shared by our members. These services are free of charge.

Training / trainee placement organization: University members who, after graduation, shall probably be employed in our sector or in organisations that serve our sector, are helped to receive training in our member organisations in order to reinforce their theoretical information with practical experience. We are trying to build a bridge between the students who wish to receive training, the related unit in their school and the members who can employ trainees in order to achieve an effective employment.

International Packaging Fair: İstanbul Packaging Industry Exhibition that is held every year by the Packaging Manufacturers Association in cooperation with TÜYAP is one of our important activities. The exhibition that shall be held for the 14th time in 2008 has grown about 20 times since the first year. While increasing number of companies attending the exhibition has led to the enlargement of the exhibition area; there are improvements in the exhibition qualities. The exhibition that is the fourth in size in Europe and the top among the exhibitions that are held every year in Europe, is the main platform that reflects the most current and comprehensive situation of the Turkish Packaging Industry. We have been working to improve in a sustainable manner the size that the sector exhibition has reached as well as the reputation that the exhibition has gained in global markets. Special discounts are applicable for ASD – Packaging Manufacturers Association in Turkey members who participate in the exhibition.

Establishing a corporate identity for the sector: We have been participating in or actively organising several domestic and foreign conferences, panels and exhibitions in order to give general information about the Turkish Packaging sector. The main theme of the work abroad is to tell about the qualitative and quantitative competencies of the Turkish Packaging Industry in order to build and develop a positive image in global markets; as well as to emphasise the increasing interest in packaged products, which is very low in Turkey as compared to the global average, and the unavoidable importance of packaging especially for food products, besides non-food products. 

Packaging e-learning program: We have a training program in cooperation with Institute of Packaging (IoP - UK) in order to fill the gap in specialised packaging training. This internet-based program which is provided in English has a 120-hour module for a diploma and a 60-hour module for a certificate. According to an agreement, it is possible for Turkish students to attend this program which is provided from the UK-based website for prices that are about 60% of those applicable in the UK when registration is made throughASD.  E-students who complete this training program in the form of lifelong training are getting prepared for the technical aspects of higher positions in industries that produce or use packaging or any position where they can take packaging related responsibility in a company included in the distribution chain. Successful completion of training means the opportunity to attend M.S. degree programs in the Department of Packaging Technology in Loughborough and Brunel Universities. Diploma exam of the training that will take place over the internet shall be performed by accredited experts in Turkey. Turkish version of the program is in progress. General translation of the 600-page training book is complete and currently the website is being translated. The program which is expected to be completed until the end of 2008 will accept participants in Turkish language in the first half of 2009.

University – Industry cooperation: Cooperation is being established with universities in Turkey that give training and carry out academic work in packaging area. In the researches that we made about the work done in Turkey in this field, we found that there are 42 different courses given in 11 departments of 39 universities. We share information that universities may need about the subject of packaging. Time to time, we try to contribute with conferences, panels, workshops and operation tours. We plan to expand this work, which in the past period was carried out mostly at local level, to an increasingly wider geography.

Vocational seminars: We are organising seminars on several subjects in order to increase and develop the vocational knowledge and competencies of our members. We are holding these seminars in our hall in the general Packaging Industry building or in other venues depending on the number of participants. Some of these seminars are as follows:


Following these seminars for our members, we recently organised a workshop titled “Relation of Packaging with Food and Hygiene” in cooperation with Food Safety Association in Turkey, the first of which was held in January 2007.  In this workshop where packaging producers and users were trained together, subjects were addressed by 5 academicians and 1 professional expert.  The workshop was repeated at the beginning of April because of high demand.At the second half of 2007 and also on January 2008, two seminars, titled "Successful Preparation for Exhibitions" and "Exhibitor Stand Personnel Training" have been organized.At a later date, packaging issues shall be addressed more deeply. 

Packaging Literature Library: We are building a specialised library to have sources about packaging-related matters. As a result of our work that lasted about 3 years, we gathered 900 books with professional and economic content, more than 1000 company catalogues/brochures, about 400 promotional CD’s, 200 articles and 2000 magazines. These are enhanced every month by about 100 regular and non-regular publications. In order to make the sources more easily accessible, we are renewing our catalogue and classification. Our Packaging Literature library is open free of charge within working hours to everyone who wants to carry out research or professional study about packaging. Our aim is to transfer this collection to cyber environment to make it accessible 7/24. 

Public relations: We are getting involved in programs organised by Ministries in order to have our industry be informed quickly and effectively as part of the harmonisation work that is carried out parallel with the EU legislation. We are sharing with our members the information that we obtain from these programs. We are also trying to answer our members’ requests about legal processes and practices with the help of related authorities.

International Relations: We are getting membership for international organisations that are suitable for our association and mission in order to be active both in the framework of our efforts to establish and develop an institutional identity for our sector and in the matters at the global scale. Being an active member of 

WPO – World Packaging Organization  
IAPRI – International Association of Packaging Research Institutes 
EPI – European Packaging Institute maintained by the countries in Eastern Europe, 
EPIC – European Packaging Institutes Consortium 
ICPP – International Confederation of Plastic Packaging Manufacturers  

ASD has been making combined efforts with all other national and international associations and organisations that have common areas of activity with packaging sector. 

For example; 

Chief editor and one of the editors of our Packaging Bulletin magazine have become members of IPPO – International Packaging Press Organization.

COPE- Confederation of Organizers of Packaging Exhibitions, we have been involved in the efforts of the Confederation of Organizers of Packaging Exhibitions in cooperation with TÜYAP. Since the field of activity of the SPE – Society of Plastic Engineers involving the vocational education and researches in plastic industry includes a major part of our packaging industry, we are helping this American-based professional organisation to establish itself in Turkey.

ASD - WEB site: www.ambalaj.org.tr is the name of our website which has been active since 2001. This website allows the promotion of members at international level. Members may have an e-mail address and web promotion opportunity upon request. There about 300 visitors to our website everyday. This number becomes 800 at times when there are exhibitions or packaging regulations or similar occasions. We are revising the content of our website in order to be able to provide more comprehensive services. 

Packaging Design National Student Competition: ASD works in cooperation with TÜYAP to organise Packaging Design National Student Competition. This national competition which is repeated every year to give monetary awards aims to encourage Turkish students who get design education to develop packaging design projects, to increase the interest for packaging sector among designers and designer candidates, to lay the foundation of an interface between industry and designers, to increase the sensitivity for the development of programs that will result in university-industry cooperation, full-time employment, hardware donations, supply of research funds and experience exchange.

And the ultimate objective is to develop a packaging industry that will contribute to the locally produced merchandises find a place in domestic and foreign markets; and to gain competitive power through the added value achieved by original and correct packaging applications.

Student World Star - Packaging Design International Student Competition: Our association has been given the task of organising this competition in 2006 and 2007 which is held by WPO with objectives similar to the national competition.  This organization that we make in cooperation with TÜYAP includes the work of jury that consists of Turkish and foreign members and the award ceremony.The competition was held for in 2006 and 2007 under our responsibility.

Packaging Industry Building: Packaging Manufacturers Association has been working in the recently constructed building, which is owned and built by the association, where it has moved in the last week of October 2003. In our building which has 5 floors and 550 sqm area, there are a large training hall, a library, meeting halls, study rooms and open office area. In the building where the 7 employees of ASD’s central and economical operations work, AMD-Packaging Machine Manufacturers Association, ESD-Label Manufacturers Association, FASD-Flexible Packaging Manufacturers Association, SEPA-Rigid Plastic Packaging Manufacturers Association, TASİAD-Tin Packaging Manufacturers Association and Businessmen Associations stay as guests with their own personnel.

Board Members: ASD Board consists of members who are professionals or employer managers in the leading companies of its manufacturing branches. As a natural result of the wide activity area of ASD, Board Members, besides performing their duties in ASD, occupy managing positions in associations that are related to different professional groups of packaging industry. Therefore it is possible to achieve a homogeneous cooperation and consensus in general matters.




























Prerequisites for Association membership:

The main prerequisite for membership is that the applicant must meet the requirements listed in the law of associations and must be the owner or the legal representative in managing position of a company that has packaging related operations. Maximum two managers from a company can be accepted for association membership.  It is also possible to become a member of the association in the form of juristic personality. Juristic personality memberships are even encouraged.

Members can obtain Ambalaj Bülteni – The Packaging Bulletin magazine and the above mentioned services either free of charge or for a very low price. They have priorities in attending the training programs and pay discounted prices for announcements, exhibitions and other events. They can have their web pages published free of charge in the first two editions of the Turkish Packaging Industry Catalogue. 



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