The complaint is in a report published by Greenpeace Türkiye. For the fifth consecutive year, the country is confirmed as the main destination for waste: 456,507 tons from the EU and the United Kingdom in 2023 alone, which is equivalent to 125 trucks of waste per day. The Global Plastics Treaty will be debated at the end of the month.
Istanbul () – Despite protests by environmentalists and local activists, Turkey remains the main dumping ground for plastic waste from Europe, with the United Kingdom as the main exporter. This is what emerges from the new report on the subject published these days by Greenpeace Turkey, which shows that for the fifth consecutive year Ankara was the “main dumping ground” for plastic waste from EU countries and from the other side of the Channel. the stain.
In March 2022, the UN Assembly signed an agreement between 175 countries to issue a “global plastics treaty” by December 1, 2024. A legally binding document that will aim to drastically cut emissions and reduce air pollution. plastics with concrete solutions and economic incentives implemented by each State.
As discussions on the Global Plastics Treaty (GPT) approach, due to begin on December 25 at the UN, Greenpeace activists have called on European countries to end the practice, which risks cause serious environmental damage in Turkey. The trend of exporting plastics and pollutants to the former Ottoman kingdom began in January 2018, when Beijing banned – blocked – imports of plastic waste, triggering restrictions in Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Since then, shipments to Turkey have skyrocketed, reaching 456,507 tonnes from the EU and the UK in 2023 alone, equivalent to 125 truckloads of waste per day.
Nihan Temiz-Ataş, head of Greenpeace Turkey’s anti-plastic campaign, sees the TGP as a crucial opportunity for the country to stop the import of harmful plastic waste from Europe. “A strong Global Plastics Treaty would lead to concrete measures to curb plastic pollution at all stages, from production to disposal,” emphasizes the activist, according to whom the trade reflects what he calls “colonialism of the waste”. Developed countries, he says, “shift their burdens to vulnerable or developing nations instead of tackling pollution at its source.”
«Türkiye – continues Ataş – has been Europe’s dumping ground for plastic waste for five years and cannot continue to bear this burden. “We need a global plastics treaty that completely bans exports.” The report’s figures confirm the need for urgent action: according to Greenpeace data, imports of plastic waste from Turkey have multiplied by 196 since 2004. The main year-on-year figures for EU and UK exports to Turkey are: 582,296 tonnes in 2019; 656,960 tons in 2020; 391,022 tons in 2021; 342,332 tons in 2022; 456,507 tons in 2023.
According to data from Eurostat and UN Comtrade, at the country level the United Kingdom leads the list in 2023 with 140,907 tons, followed by Germany (87,109 tons), Belgium (74,141 tons), Italy (41,580 tons) and the Netherlands (27,564 tons) .
The environmental and health impact of this waste in Türkiye is worrying. A 2019 Greenpeace investigation in Adana found the presence of dangerous carcinogens, such as dioxins and furans, in samples of ash, water and sediment from river beds near illegal landfills, the highest levels recorded in the world. country.
Our research has shown that imports of plastic waste have irreversibly contaminated Türkiye’s soil, air and water,” Ataş underlines. Although past harms cannot be undone, he adds, “a complete ban would help minimize future risks to the environment and public health.” To address the problem, Greenpeace Türkiye has launched a petition calling on European countries to end waste exports. Finally, the activist organization calls on the Turkish Ministry of Environment, Urban Planning and Climate Change, together with other relevant authorities, to act immediately and ensure a strong global treaty on plastics.
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