Turkey, the 'dumping ground' for Europe's plastic and waste

A  Greenpeace Turkey report revelas that for the fifth consecutive year, the country is confirmed as the main destination for waste: 456,507 tonnes from the EU and the UK alone in 2023, equivalent to 125 lorries of waste per day. Global Plastic Treaty to be discussed by the end of the month.

Istanbul (AsiaNews) - In spite of protests by environmentalists and local activists, Turkey remains the main dumping ground for plastic waste from Europe with the UK as the leading exporter, according to the latest report on the subject published by Greenpeace Turkey, which shows that for the fifth year in a row Ankara was the ‘main dumping ground’ for plastic waste from EU countries and from across the Channel.

In March 2022, the United Nations Assembly signed an agreement among 175 countries to issue a ‘global plastics treaty’ by 1 December 2024. A legally binding document that will aim to drastically cut emissions and reduce plastic pollution with concrete solutions and economic incentives put in place by each state.

As discussions on the Global Plastic Treaty (GPT), which will begin on 25 December at the UN, approach, Greenpeace activists have called on European nations to put an end to the practice, which risks causing serious environmental damage in Turkey.

The trend of exporting plastics and pollutants to the former Ottoman kingdom began in January 2018, when Beijing banned - blocking - imports of plastic waste, triggering restrictions in Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Since then, sending to Turkey has soared, reaching 456,507 tonnes from the EU and the UK in 2023 alone, equivalent to 125 trucks of waste per day.

Nihan Temiz-Ataş, head of Greenpeace Turkey's anti-plastics campaign, sees the GPT as a crucial opportunity for the country to curb the import of plastic, and harmful, waste from Europe.

‘A strong Global Plastic Treaty would lead to concrete measures to curb plastic pollution at every stage, from production to disposal,’ stressed the activist, according to whom the trade reflects what he calls “waste colonialism”. Developed countries, he says, ‘shift their burdens onto vulnerable or developing nations instead of tackling pollution at its source’.

‘Turkey,’ Ataş continues, ’has been the European dumping ground for plastic waste for five years and can no longer bear this burden. We need a global plastics treaty that completely bans exports'.

The numbers in the report confirm the need for urgent action: according to Greenpeace data, Turkey's plastic waste imports have increased 196-fold since 2004. The main year-on-year values of EU and UK exports to Turkey include: 582,296 tonnes in 2019; 656,960 tonnes in 2020; 391,022 tonnes in 2021; 342,332 tonnes in 2022; 456,507 tonnes in 2023.

According to Eurostat and UN Comtrade data, at the country level the UK tops the list in 2023 with 140,907 tonnes, followed by Germany (87,109 tonnes), Belgium (74,141 tonnes), Italy (41,580 tonnes) and the Netherlands (27,564 tonnes).

The environmental and health impact of this waste on Turkey is worrying. A 2019 Greenpeace investigation in Adana discovered the presence of dangerous carcinogens such as dioxins and furans in ash, water and riverbed sediment samples near the illegal waste disposal sites, marking the highest levels recorded in the country.

‘Our research has shown that plastic waste imports have irreversibly contaminated Turkey's soil, air and water,’ Ataş emphasises. Although past damage cannot be undone, he adds, a ‘total ban would help minimise future risks to the environment and public health’.

To tackle the problem, Greenpeace Turkey has launched a petition calling on European countries to end waste exports. Finally, the activist organisation calls on the Turkish Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, together with other relevant authorities, to act immediately and ensure a strong global plastics treaty.