[REVISION HISTORY]

Turkey implements strategic roadmap for plastic waste

20 recorded revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-29 10:53 UTC → 2026-10-27 11:16 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Turkey continues to face significant environmental pressure from plastic waste imports. In 2025, European countries exported nearly 699,000 tons of plastic waste to Turkey, generating $193.2 million for Turkish recycling firms. Environmental studies in the Seyhan region have highlighted severe water quality ~~issues, including extreme oxygen depletion and high chemical oxygen demand in irrigation canals,~~ issues linked to microplastic discharge from recycling facilities. To address these challenges, Turkey is implementing a national strategic ~~roadmap to manage the entire plastic lifecycle.~~ roadmap. In ~~late~~ August 2026, ~~Samed Ağırbaş, President of~~ stakeholders in Antalya met to discuss reducing plastic at the ~~Zero Waste Foundation~~ source and ~~COP31 High-Level Climate Champion, represented Turkey’s environmental vision at~~ preventing waste from reaching the ~~UNCCD COP17 in Mongolia. On August 31, 2026,~~ Mediterranean. This was followed by the ‘Turkey Plastic Cycle Common Intelligence Platform – Sustainable Future in the Plastic Cycle Workshop’ ~~commenced~~ in Istanbul, ~~resulting in the formation of~~ which established 15 thematic working groups to support the ~~2053~~ ‘2053 Turkey Plastic ~~Vision. As~~ Vision.’ Simultaneously, the ~~COP31~~ Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate ~~Summit approaches~~ Change designated September as ‘Zero Waste in ~~Antalya (November 9–20, 2026), the~~ Schools’ month to foster environmental awareness. The Zero Waste ~~Movement~~ Movement, launched in 2017 under the auspices of Emine Erdoğan, is being positioned as a central pillar of the ~~summit.~~ upcoming COP31 summit in Antalya (November 9–20, 2026). The movement has expanded its global reach through climate diplomacy, including Emine Erdoğan’s participation in New York Climate Week and a cooperation protocol between the Zero Waste Foundation and London Climate Action Week. On its ninth anniversary on September 27, 2026, ~~the movement marked its ninth anniversary.~~ Minister ~~of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change~~ Murat Kurum reported that ~~since its 2017 launch,~~ the initiative has processed approximately 90 million tons of waste, contributing 365 billion TL to the national economy. Achievements include saving 613 million trees, 2 trillion liters of water, and 270 billion kWh of electricity, while preventing approximately 180 million tons of CO2 emissions. The movement’s current theme, ‘From 0 to COP31: Together for the World,’ aims to To further integrate ~~zero waste principles into global climate action~~ local and ~~methane reduction targets. Expanding its nationwide reach, a~~ national policies, the Zero Waste ~~Workshop themed ‘Waste, Waste, and Resource Management from Local to National’ recently commenced at Çukurova University~~ Foundation is conducting a nationwide series of workshops across 81 provinces, including recent sessions in ~~Adana.~~ Adana and Afyonkarahisar.

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