A Guardian investigation has revealed that the UK exported 139,000 tonnes of rubbish to poor districts in Adana, Turkey, where farmers are left to cope with microplastics, toxic smoke, and debris. The findings highlight a global trade that enables Britain to send plastic waste to poorer countries, fueling pollution and health impacts.
UK Companies Linked to Recycling Site
Between May 2021 and July 2024, 13 British companies sent 545 shipments of household and supermarket plastic waste, totaling 52,000 tonnes, to the Kemal Deniz recycling zone in Adana, according to data analyzed for the Guardian by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA). The zone is less than a mile from an aubergine farmer's fields.
Ayhan, a farmer whose fields are near a canal contaminated with microplastics, said: "We get pollution from all sides here," referring to the plastic recycling zone upstream and a nearby textile plant. "The plastics are all there, by the bank, and the fumes come this way."
Microplastics in Irrigation Canals
New research shared with the Guardian shows high levels of microplastics and plastic debris in the waterway alongside Ayhan's fields. Sedat Gündoğdu, a Turkish marine biologist at Sabancı University's Istanbul Policy Center, says many recycling facilities discharge wastewater directly into irrigation canals.
"The discharge of microplastic-laden wastewater into irrigation canals raises critical concerns about agricultural contamination and food safety," he said.
Impact on Residents and Environment
Ayhan's fields flooded in January after heavy rain, destroying 7 hectares of crops. "We had to plant new ones," he said. "But what can we do? Nothing. Nowhere to file a complaint – nobody cares."
Last year, residents protested outside the city law courts after a blaze at a recycling facility near the Küçükdikili neighborhood burned for 36 hours, creating toxic smoke over their homes. Fires have also occurred at Kemal Deniz, according to local news reports.
Call for UK to Ban Plastic Waste Exports
Lauren Weir of EIA said the UK government is lagging behind the EU and should take responsibility for its own plastic waste. "People don't take the time to clean out their yoghurt pots for recycling expecting the plastic to end up polluting another country's environment," she said. "It's time the government does the same by banning plastic waste exports and putting an end to waste colonialism."
A spokesperson for the UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: "There are already strict controls in place on the export of waste set out in UK legislation. Businesses involved in the export of waste from the UK are required to ensure that the waste they ship is managed in an environmentally sound manner, and we have already taken action to further reduce our need to export plastic waste."
