ADANA, Nov 12 — At first glance, the canal near which Ibrahim Yildiz grazes his sheep in the southern Adana province appears idyllic, framed by rows of clementine trees — until the mountains of plastic shavings come into view.
“It’s been like this for a decade. Around here, we call it the ‘canal of filth’. My animals no longer produce milk,” sighed the 65-year-old shepherd.
As the leading destination for plastic waste from the European Union, with 510,000 tonnes imported in 2025, alongside another 140,000 tonnes from Britain, Turkey has become “Europe’s dumping ground”, environmental campaigners say as Turkey hosts the UN COP31 climate conference in Antalya.
Valued at €94 million (RM427.65 million) in 2025 by the European Commission, this trade is polluting both the Mediterranean and the Turkish agricultural landscape — largely through non-recyclable plastics.
