Where does it all go?
You might be surprised to learn that Turkey has become the biggest destination for Europe’s waste. In 2022 the EU shipped a shocking amount of 12,4 million tons of waste to Turkey, more than three times the amount it sent there in 2004. Southeast Asian countries, like Malaysia, Vietnam, and India, have also become major dumping grounds for European plastic waste. This leads many of these countries to drown under the weight of it.
Since China banned plastic waste imports in 2018, Turkey is the country that has received most of the European waste. Why? Because it’s cheaper for European companies to send their waste there, even though the environmental impact is enormous. This has sparked accusations of “waste colonialism,” with Europe offloading its waste problems onto poorer nations, without a second thought about the consequences.
Plastic waste: More than just rubbish
Have you ever wondered what happens to that plastic bottle you toss into the recycling bin? If you live in the EU, there’s a good chance it ends up on a ship to Turkey or Southeast Asia. In fact, only 9% of plastic is actually recycled globally. Most of it either gets burned, buried in landfills, or, worst of all, dumped into rivers and oceans where it proceeds to destroy wildlife and ecosystems. Plastic waste, especially from packaging, is one of Europe’s biggest exports. It’s not just household waste, but also industrial plastics that gets this treatment. While countries like Turkey and Malaysia were willing to accept this waste in the past, they are now overwhelmed by the amount and the environmental damage it causes.
Loopholes and greenwashing: A dirty business
What most people don’t know is that, despite strict EU laws on waste management, companies have found clever ways to keep the export machine running. One of the sneakiest tricks in the book is rebranding waste as “end-of-waste” material, meaning it’s no longer classified as waste but as a resource that can be reused. Sounds great, right? Well, not always. This loophole allows businesses to sidestep regulations and ship waste to countries that can’t handle the vast amount that gets sent there.
And it gets worse, companies in both the exporting and importing countries often do their own testing to decide whether something is “waste” or “material.” As you might imagine, these tests aren’t always reliable. In many cases, what’s labeled as a reusable material is, in fact, still waste. This has led to some shocking environmental scandals, with entire shiploads of trash being rejected and sent back.
A change: New laws to change the crisis
There’s also good news, because the EU introduced a new regulation in 2024 that aims to stop the export of plastic waste to non-OECD countries entirely by 2026. This will mean that countries like Malaysia, India, and Vietnam will most likely stop being the EU’s dumping grounds for plastic waste. However, there’s still a long way to go. Even within the OECD countries, including Turkey, where waste exports are allowed, stricter rules now require written agreements between countries to ensure the waste is properly processed.
This new regulation is part of a broader effort to strengthen Europe’s waste management system and move towards a circular economy where overall waste is minimized, while materials are also being reused and recycled as much as possible.
On the flipside, the EU talks a lot about sustainability while less than 12% of the materials consumed within Europe are actually coming from recycling. This is a quite shocking statistic for a region that always prides itself on being green-minded.
The hidden costs: Health and environmental dangers
If you think this is just an environmental issue, then think again. The export of waste has serious social and health implications as well, especially in countries that don’t have the infrastructure to handle it. In Turkey, for instance, European waste has led to widespread pollution due to dangerous chemicals from improperly handled plastics contaminating water supplies and soil.
Moreover, in many of these countries, waste processing is done by informal workers and often happens in unsafe and unsanitary conditions. These workers, some of whom are children in certain Southeastern Asian countries, are exposed to hazardous materials on a daily basis, leading to serious health issues including respiratory problems and skin diseases.
The future of waste: A circular solution?
So, what’s the solution? The answer lies in keeping more waste within Europe and improving recycling systems across the continent. The EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan, adopted in 2020, is a step in the right direction. It aims to reduce the EU’s dependence on waste exports by promoting better recycling practices and encouraging companies to design products that can be easily reused or recycled.
However, this won’t be easy. At this point, Europe has relied on exporting its waste to solve its recycling problems for years and many industries are deeply rooted into this model. Moving to a circular economy will require a massive investment in recycling infrastructure, as well as stricter law enforcement of regulations, to ensure that waste is managed sustainably from start to finish.
The takeaway: Time to rethink waste
While Europe struggles with its waste crisis, one thing is clear: the days of shipping our problems elsewhere are coming to an end. The EU’s new regulations are a bold move, but they are just the beginning. To truly tackle the waste problem, we need to rethink how we produce, use, and dispose of our materials in the first place. The next time you toss something into a bin, ask yourself: Where will this end up? Because in a world where one man’s trash is another country’s burden, our waste has far-reaching consequences. That’s why it’s crucial for us to find long-term, sustainable solutions and not just one that shifts the problem temporarily.
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