UK exported 139,000 tonnes of waste to Turkish city, investigation finds

A Guardian investigation reveals Britain shipped plastic waste and other refuse to poor districts in Adana, Turkey, where residents face microplastics and toxic pollution from the discarded material.

First covered Aug 6, 2026 · 11:00 PM PT · 1 article

UK exported 139,000 tonnes of waste to Turkish city, investigation finds — Image via theguardian.com

Coverage

11h Guardian Environment ‘Waste colonialism’ – the Turkish city carrying the weight of Britain’s pollution problem — In this week’s newsletter: a Guardian investigation reveals that the UK exported 139,000 tonnes of rubbish to poor districts in Adana, where farmers are left…

Primary sources

environment.ec.europa.eu Plastic waste shipments

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Appeared in: 2026-08-07 (#12)

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