Plastic Pollution: How UK Waste Is Devastating Turkish Farms

In the fertile Çukurova plain of southern Turkey, farmer Ayhan* harvests aubergines just metres from a waterway where plastic debris clings to the reeds. The scene is a stark reminder of how plastic pollution transcends borders. According to a Guardian investigation, between May 2021 and July 2024, 13 British companies sent 545 shipments of household and supermarket plastic waste—totalling 52,000 tonnes—to the Kemal Deniz recycling zone, less than a mile from Ayhan's fields. The data was analysed by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), an international NGO.

Ayhan's frustration is palpable: “We get pollution from all sides here,” he says, pointing to the recycling zone upstream and a nearby textile plant he suspects is making the water acidic. “The plastics are all there, by the bank, and the fumes come this way.” His words echo a broader crisis: the UK, one of the world's largest exporters of plastic waste, shipped 675,000 tonnes globally in 2025—its largest amount in eight years—with 139,000 tonnes going to Turkey. The EU's exports to Turkey rose 19% to more than 500,000 tonnes in the same year.

The Pollution Trail: From UK Bins to Turkish Canals

New research shared with the Guardian reveals high levels of microplastics and plastic debris in Adana's waterways, including one adjacent to the Kemal Deniz facility. This polluted waterway floods into agricultural fields after heavy rain and feeds into a larger canal used for irrigating crops on the Çukurova plain, one of Turkey's largest and most fertile agricultural basins. The contamination is not just an eyesore; it threatens the region's farming economy and food safety.

Locals report that fires from abandoned piles of unrecyclable plastic create toxic smoke over neighbourhoods and fields. Ayhan describes the impact on his greenhouse: “Every year we install the greenhouse tarps, and when we bring them down we have to clean the surface because we find a black coating, coming from the fumes of these places.” In January, canal water flooded his land after heavy rain, destroying seven hectares (17 acres) of crops. “We had to plant new ones. But what can we do? Nothing. Nowhere to file a complaint—nobody cares.”

Waste Colonialism and the Global Plastics Treaty

Environmental campaigners in the UK and Turkey describe this as “waste colonialism”—the export of plastic waste by rich nations to poorer countries with less regulated waste management. They argue that British and EU plastic waste exports are driving the operations responsible for the pollution, leaving Adana's poorer residents to pay the price. The term captures a systemic inequity: while wealthy nations benefit from plastic consumption, the environmental and health costs are externalised to vulnerable communities.

The UK government has pledged to reduce plastic pollution and eliminate harmful plastics during talks to reach a global plastics treaty, but those negotiations collapsed last year. Crucially, the UK has not committed to a ban on waste exports. Treaty negotiations are expected to resume in 2027, offering a potential avenue for change—but the current trajectory suggests little relief for farmers like Ayhan.

Data-Driven Evidence: The EIA Analysis

The EIA's analysis of import and export data found that about 13% of UK plastic waste to Turkey was shipped to eight facilities within the Adana recycling zone between May 2021 and July 2024. This concentration of waste in a single agricultural region amplifies the local impact. While the investigation does not claim UK waste is the sole cause of all pollution in Adana—other sources, such as the textile plant, contribute—the data points to a clear pattern of waste colonialism.

For businesses and policymakers, this story underscores the hidden costs of global supply chains. As companies increasingly rely on global logistics, the environmental footprint of waste disposal is often outsourced. Similarly, fast-food giants and other industries are under pressure to address plastic use, but the problem extends beyond packaging to the very systems that manage waste.

The Global Impact of Plastic Pollution

The findings reignite calls for stronger regulation of plastic waste exports. Campaigners argue that the UK and EU must take responsibility for their waste, either by reducing plastic production or by ensuring that exported waste is managed safely. The upcoming treaty negotiations in 2027 could be a turning point, but without binding commitments, the burden will continue to fall on communities like Adana.

For now, farmers like Ayhan are left to cope with the debris, microplastics, and toxic smoke. Their plight is a reminder that plastic pollution is not just an environmental issue—it is a matter of global justice. As the world waits for policy action, the fields of Çukurova bear witness to the true cost of convenience.