Thirteen British companies sent 545 shipments of household and supermarket plastic waste, totalling 52,000 tonnes, to the Kemal Deniz recycling zone in Adana, southern Turkey, between May 2021 and July 2024. This data was analysed for the Guardian by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA).
New research shared with the Guardian indicates high levels of microplastics and plastic debris in Adana's waterways, including one next to Kemal Deniz. Sedat Gündoğdu, a Turkish marine biologist, found a 10-fold increase in microplastic concentrations in a canal downstream from Kemal Deniz compared to upstream sites.
Farmers in the region, such as Ayhan, report plastic debris in waterways and toxic smoke from fires at abandoned plastic piles. Ayhan claims canal water flooded his land in January after heavy rain, destroying seven hectares of crops.
Adana, part of Turkey's fertile Çukurova plain, has become a primary destination for plastic waste from the EU and UK since China's 2018 import ban. Environmental groups and journalists have found this influx has overwhelmed local infrastructure, leading to illegal dumping and burning.