Greenpeace: Plastic waste from UK, Germany illegally dumped, burned in Turkey

Photos: Greenpeace

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Thousands of plastic waste from the UK and Germany are being dumped in Turkey as it has become Europe's largest plastic waste importer, according to a Greenpeace investigation.

Some 40 percent of the UK's plastic waste exports, which amounts to 210,000 tons of waste, came to Turkey last year, says a report published today (May 17) by Greenpeace UK.

Also published today, a report by Greenpeace Germany shows packaging from supermarkets in the country were found in Turkey.

Since 2016, Turkey's plastic waste imports from the EU countries has increased eight times, or from 12,000 tons to 200,000 tons, Greenpeace has noted.

Also, the Greenpeace investigation has revealed that some of the waste imported by Turkey are illegally burned and dumped into roadsides, fields and waterways instead of being recycled.

"As this new evidence shows, plastic waste coming from Europe to Turkey is an environmental threat not an economic opportunity," said Nihan Temiz Ataş, Biodiversity Projects Lead from Greenpeace Mediterranean, based in Turkey.

"Uncontrolled imports of plastic waste do nothing but increase the problems existing in Turkey's own recycling system. Around 241 truckloads of plastic waste come to Turkey every day from across Europe and it overwhelms us.

"As far as we can see from the data and the field, we continue to be Europe's largest plastic waste dump."

Having investigated 10 locations in southern Turkey, Greenpeace has said that the country has become Europe's largest waste dump.

It also released similar reports in the past couple of years.

The Greenpeace UK report says packaging for a coronavirus antigen test was found amongst bags of UK-bases plastic, which indicates that the waste was less than a year old.

The UK produces more plastic waste than any other country except the US and Turkey, Malaysia and Poland are its top importers, says the report. (PT/VK)