"The Turkish Mediterranean coast is the most polluted coast in the whole Mediterranean because of the plastic waste from the recycling factories. There's huge amounts of microplastics; sometimes people can't even get into the sea because of all the waste."
"Larger countries such as the US and China export less plastic waste partly because more is handled domestically, through landfill, incineration or recycling, and they are not subject to the same recycling target pressures as Europe and the UK."
"The EU has agreed to ban exports of plastic waste to countries outside the group of mostly rich OECD nations by November 2026, yet half is still being sent to those destinations."
In 2025, Germany exported over 810,000 tonnes of plastic waste, making it the largest exporter globally. The UK followed with 675,000 tonnes, its highest in eight years. Major destinations included Turkey and Malaysia, where the recycling industry has been linked to environmental damage and labor abuses. The EU plans to ban exports of plastic waste to non-OECD countries by November 2026, but concerns exist about potential redirection of exports to developing OECD nations.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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