In southern Turkey’s Adana region, local farmers and residents are grappling with environmental and health concerns linked to the influx of plastic waste imported from the United Kingdom and other countries. Data from May 2021 to July 2024 reveals that 13 UK companies exported 545 shipments totaling approximately 52,000 tonnes of household and supermarket plastic waste to a recycling zone known as Kemal Deniz, located less than a mile from agricultural fields in the area.

Ayhan, a farmer harvesting aubergines near the Kemal Deniz site, described the pervasive pollution affecting his land and waterways. He pointed to the upstream recycling facilities and nearby industrial operations, expressing concerns over wastewater contamination and the acidic conditions potentially caused by a textile plant. In recent years, heavy rains have caused canal flooding that destroyed significant portions of his crops, exacerbating the challenges faced by local agriculture.

Turkey’s Cukurova plain, where Adana is situated, is among the country’s most fertile agricultural regions, producing cotton, soya, and citrus fruits. Since China’s 2018 ban on plastic waste imports, Turkey has emerged as a primary destination for plastic waste from the European Union and the UK. Adana receives about 60% of Turkey’s imported plastic waste, a volume that has overwhelmed local recycling and waste management infrastructure. Investigations by environmental groups have uncovered widespread illegal practices, including dumping and burning of plastic waste in the region.

Sedat Gündogdu, a marine biologist at Sabanci University’s Istanbul Policy Centre, conducted water sampling in canals near the Kemal Deniz zone. His findings, published in the journal Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, indicate microplastic concentrations downstream from recycling facilities to be up to 132 times higher than upstream locations. Gündogdu noted these canals supply irrigation water to local farmlands, raising concerns about contamination affecting crops and soil quality.

Residents also report recurrent fires in the area’s recycling plants, which release toxic smoke that blankets nearby poorer communities several times per year. In one instance, a blaze at a facility near the Küçükdikili neighborhood burned for 36 hours, prompting protests from local environmental groups over health risks associated with air pollution. Though it remains unclear whether the plastics involved were imported or domestic, plastic packaging bearing British labels was observed discarded nearby.

The UK exported nearly 675,000 tonnes of plastic waste in 2025, with approximately 140,000 tonnes shipped to Turkey. Similarly, the EU’s plastic waste exports to Turkey reached over 500,000 tonnes that year. While European Union regulations have recently tightened controls on plastic waste exports, the UK continues to export waste to countries outside the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development group.

Amy Youngman, a legal expert at the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), emphasized that UK exports “drive the very operations” linked to pollution documented in Gündogdu’s research. She urged UK authorities to phase out plastic waste exports, enhance traceability and enforcement mechanisms, and implement broader measures to reduce plastic production.

Among the primary exporters to Turkey, Eurokey stated it works with accredited partners approved by the UK Environment Agency and has ceased sending plastic waste to Turkey, citing plans to expand domestic recycling capacity. Vanden, another exporter, called for thorough investigations if environmental harm is confirmed and noted it regularly assesses Turkish facilities. ProtoGreen declined to comment.

The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs highlighted regulatory requirements obligating businesses to ensure environmentally sound waste management and noted ongoing efforts to reduce plastic waste exports. Requests for comment from the Turkish government were not immediately fulfilled.

As plastic waste accumulates and mismanagement persists, communities in Adana face mounting environmental degradation and health risks, spotlighting the complex consequences of global plastic trade and recycling practices.