Thirteen British companies exported 52,000 tonnes of household and supermarket plastic waste to the Kemal Deniz recycling zone in Adana, southern Turkey, between May 2021 and July 2024. This data, analysed by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) for the Guardian, links British waste to pollution in the region.
New research shared with the Guardian indicates high levels of microplastics and plastic debris in an irrigation canal adjacent to aubergine fields near the Kemal Deniz site. A Turkish marine biologist, Sedat Gündoğdu, stated that many recycling facilities discharge wastewater directly into irrigation canals, raising concerns about agricultural contamination and food safety.
Residents in Adana claim that plastic waste from the UK and EU is driving operations that cause water and air pollution. Farmers in the area report crop damage from flooding and pollution, with one farmer stating, "The plastics are all there, by the bank, and the fumes come this way."
While there is no suggestion of illegal activity by UK companies, British exporters have a regulatory duty to ensure plastic waste is recycled in an environmentally sound manner. The UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs stated that strict controls are in place and action has been taken to reduce the need to export plastic waste.
From November, the EU will implement stricter controls on plastic exports, banning them to non-OECD countries and imposing tighter rules for OECD members, including Turkey. Environmental campaigners are calling for the UK government to ban plastic waste exports, arguing it should take responsibility for its own waste.