Sustainability and supply-chain transparency
How we approach sustainability on corporate merch programmes in İstanbul, Ankara and İzmir — GOTS organic, GRS recycled, rPET, OEKO-TEX chemical safety, FSC paper, CSRD-style disclosure alignment, and the Sıfır Atık framework.
What sustainability means for a corporate merch programme
Sustainability on a merch programme is not a single certificate and not a single material. It is a chain: where the raw cotton is grown, which mill spins it, which dye house colours it, which factory cuts and sews it, which printer runs the artwork, which warehouse holds it, who ships it. Every link in the chain has a question — water used, energy used, chemical inputs, waste generated, labour conditions, distance travelled. A meaningful claim answers those questions for at least the most material links and discloses what it does not know for the rest.
We work with a short list of partner factories in the İstanbul, Bursa, Gaziantep and Ege Bölgesi manufacturing belt. Each factory carries an overlapping set of standards (ISO 14001, OEKO-TEX, GOTS, GRS, BSCI/Sedex). For buyers who need a CSRD-style or BIST sürdürülebilirlik endeksi disclosure, we coordinate the data points in time for the filing date. For buyers who do not need a formal disclosure, we still run the supply chain with the same level of paperwork so the data is there if it is later needed.
Material-side claims — what we can put on pack and in copy
Organic cotton (GOTS). For programmes where the buyer wants the "organic" claim to be defensible, we work with GOTS-certified spinners, weavers and cut-and-sew partners. The GOTS transaction certificate travels with the goods and confirms the percentage of organic fibre at each processing step. GOTS also covers the chemical inputs (ink, dye, softener) under its own restricted-substances framework. The buyer can put "organic" on-pack and "GOTS-certified" in the catalogue; we keep the certificate number and validity window on file.
Recycled PET (GRS). For programmes using rPET (recycled polyester bags, recycled notebook covers, recycled aluminium bottles), the GRS certificate confirms the recycled content percentage, the chain of custody and the social/environmental criteria at the recycling facility. The buyer can put "rPET" and "GRS-certified" on-pack and in catalogue.
FSC paper. For paper programmes (notebooks, packaging, swing tags, certificate holders, wooden gift items), we hold FSC chain-of-custody at the printing partner. FSC mix credit or FSC 100% credit is required by most EU buyers and an increasing share of Turkish buyers. The buyer can put "FSC mix" or "FSC 100%" on-pack and in catalogue.
OEKO-TEX Standard 100. For any programme that touches skin (apparel, bags, robes, towels), OEKO-TEX certifies the absence of harmful substances. The class distinction (I for baby/infant, II for skin-contact, III for decoration) sets the testing scope.
Recycled aluminium and recycled glass. For programmes using recycled aluminium (water bottles, hip flasks, thermos flasks) or recycled glass (drinkware, awards), we work with mills that carry the recycled-content declaration.
What we will not claim
Several phrases are easy to drop into marketing copy and difficult to defend on paper. We do not produce or repeat them.
"Carbon-neutral merch" — we do not claim it. A carbon-neutral programme requires a full scope-3 GHG inventory, an accredited verifier and a retirement certificate for the offsets. We can coordinate a carbon-neutral programme through a partner verifier; we will not label standard production as carbon-neutral without the offsets retired.
"Plastic-free" — we do not claim it for programmes with PU-coated items (coated bags, coated paper) or plastic-rivet apparel. The claim must hold against a strict reading of the word "plastic". We will help you draft a claim that holds ("free of single-use plastic packaging", "no PVC consumer-facing visible damage") rather than a definition of "plastic" that does not hold.
"100% sustainable" — we do not claim it. "Sustainable" is a long-horizon trajectory, not a binary label. A programme with GOTS organic cotton, GRS recycled polyester and FSC paper is materially better than the alternative; it is not the same as the absence of environmental impact. We state what is documented and let the buyer decide how to frame it.
"Biodegradable" — we do not claim it for items containing PET, dairy latex or PU. "Biodegradable" requires an accredited test (typically OECD 301B); we run it on demand for relevant SKUs, but we do not repeat the word without the test.
"Vegan" — we do not claim it for programmes containing leather (rose, leatherette) or wool (wool felt, cashmere blends). For programmes where the buyer needs a vegan claim, we work through the SKU list to remove animal-origin inputs.
CSRD and KAP-style reporting — what we feed into your filing
For buyers with formal CSRD (EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive), KAP (Kamuyu Aydınlatma Platformu), or BIST sürdürülebilirlik endeksi obligations, the data feed is structured rather than narrative. The relevant data points for a merch programme fall into: ESRS E1 — Climate change (scope-3 GHG emissions per unit, ~40-200g CO₂e per cotton shopper as an order-of-magnitude estimate from the partner industry factory's EPD), ESRS E5 — Resource use and circular economy (recycled-content percentage, end-of-life pathway, packaging recyclability), ESRS S1 — Own workforce (factory-level social audit status, working hours training facility under BSCI/Sedex), ESRS S2 — Workers in the value chain (the same audit trail but at the upstream cut-and-sew and dyeing partner), and ESRS G1 — Business conduct (anti-bribery and anti-corruption policies at the partner factory, supplier code of conduct).
We do not produce the report — that is the buyer's auditor. We feed the data points and the supporting certificates; the audit trail from raw material to finished goods is what holds the claim up under XBRL review. A 200-piece organic cotton tote programme generates roughly 1.5kg of CO₂e plus 1.2kg of pulp-paper equivalent for the certificate of origin; a 500-piece rPET bag programme generates a different mix. The numbers are item-level and we provide them on a per-programme basis.
Sıfır Atık and Çevre Kanunu compliance
For TR-resident buyers operating in TR, the Sıfır Atık (Zero Waste) framework under the T.C. Çevre, Şehircilik ve İklim Değişikliği Bakanlığı is the operational sustainability framework that matters for warehousing, packaging and end-of-life. Sıfır Atık Yönetiminde applies to factories, warehouses and offices; the relevant requirements are waste separation at source, recording of waste streams in the Sıfır Atık Bilgi Sistemi (SABS), and periodic reporting to the provincial müdürlük. We do not produce the report — that belongs to the buyer's SABS reporting — but we coordinate the packaging end-of-life pathway (recyclable, reusable, compostable) so the buyer can pick the SABS-compatible packaging configuration.
Çevre Kanunu (2872 sayılı) compliance, ÇED raporu (Çevresel Etki Değerlendirmesi) for facilities above the threshold, and ambalaj atıkalamaya yönelik depositare atıkları belirleme are downstream of the merch programme itself. We stay within scope of the merch production and packaging decisions; the buyer's Çevre Mühendisi or Çevre Danışmanı handles the broader environmental compliance.
Real buyers who run sustainable merch programmes in TR
Several patterns recur. (1) BIST sürdürülebilirlik endeksi listelenen holdingler: investor-relations merch with full sustainability disclosure for the AGM, the sustainability report and the XBRL filing. (2) EU-resident parent companies with TR subsidiaries: trade vehicle insured by EU parent’s public procurement standards, so CSRD-equivalent disclosure is needed. (3) Banks and large holdingler: customer gifts and loyalty programmes where sustainability is part of the brand narrative; merchandising is not the main brand-led PR claim. (4) Public-sector buyers: Sıfır Atık and Çevre Kanunu compliance, with KİK-managed procurement and KOSGEB-certified suppliers where applicable. (5) Diplomatic missions: protocol gifts where the country of origin and the source of the materials is part of the gift's narrative.
For each pattern, the claim set is different, the audit chain is the same.
Packaging end-of-life — what we offer at the producer
Inner packaging options: bulk-pellet-pack (no individual wrapping, recommended for B2B delivery to a warehouse), individual kraft sleeve (compostable kraft paper, ~0.20 EUR per sleeve premium), individual mailer box (recyclable corrugated, with custom print). Outer packaging: standard export carton with strapping, FSC-certified kraft panel, recycled PET shrink wrap. For consumer-channel programmes, we register the buyer's GS1 Turkey prefix and print the appropriate recycling label (the Turkish Plastik Poşet Tüketiminin Azaltılmasına Yönelik Tebliğ applies to single-use plastic bags).
Frequently asked questions
Can you guarantee "carbon-neutral" merch?
Only with a full scope-3 inventory, accredited verifier and offset retirement certificate. We coordinate carbon-neutral programmes through partner verifiers; we do not label standard production as carbon-neutral.
What is the most sustainable fabric option?
GOTS organic cotton is the most common default; recycled polyester (GRS-certified rPET) is the alternative for synthetic programmes. We will not call either "the most sustainable"; each has trade-offs (water use vs energy use, etc.).
Do you offer recycled aluminium or recycled glass?
Yes — recycled aluminium water bottles, recycled aluminium hip flasks, recycled glass drinkware. The recycled-content declaration is on file; the percentage is documented per programme.
Can you coordinate the data feed for our CSRD / KAP filing?
Yes. We feed the ESRS E1, E5, S1, S2, G1 data points per programme, with the supporting certificates. Your auditor uses them in the report.
Do you produce a single corporate sustainability report?
No — that is the buyer's auditor. We feed the per-programme data; the report is yours.
Is merch.org.tr affiliated with any sustainability body or eco-label?
No. We are an independent production partner; we work with accredited third-party certification bodies and partner factories. We do not represent them or speak for them.
Tell us what you need to substantiate
Brief on the claim set you need to make — we'll map the certification chain and the data feed.