EU plastic waste exports to Türkiye hit record 503,000 in 2025 – Eurostat

TÜRKIYE – The European Union shipped a record 503,000 tonnes of plastic waste to Türkiye in 2025, a 19 percent increase from the previous year, making Türkiye the largest destination for EU plastic waste exports, which totalled 1.46 million tonnes overall, a 2 percent decrease from 2024.

According to preliminary data from Eurostat, approximately one-third of all EU plastic waste exports went to Türkiye.

Other major destinations included Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. While shipments to Indonesia increased by 4 percent, export trade with Malaysia saw a marked decline, likely due to stricter import regulations introduced by Malaysia in 2025.

The Shifting Geography of Plastic Waste

TÜRKIYE ‘s rise as the dominant destination for EU plastic waste reflects both push and pull factors.

On the push side, EU member states face tightening domestic regulations on landfilling and incineration, creating pressure to export recyclable materials.

On the pull side, Türkiye’s plastics recycling industry has expanded rapidly, with processors willing to import waste as feedstock for producing recycled granules.

However, environmental groups have raised concerns about the capacity of Turkish recycling infrastructure to handle this volume responsibly.

A 2024 report by the Basel Action Network documented plastic waste from EU countries dumped or burned at sites in southern TÜRKIYE, raising questions about whether exported waste is actually recycled or merely displaced.

Malaysia’s Crackdown

The decline in EU exports to Malaysia follows that country’s implementation of stricter import regulations under its Environmental Quality Act.

Malaysia had previously been a top destination for plastic waste from Europe and North America, but images of mountains of unmanaged waste led to a regulatory crackdown.

The 2025 data suggests that enforcement is having an effect, with exporters redirecting shipments to other destinations, primarily Türkiye.

What This Means for Recycling

For the recycling industry, the record exports to Türkiye signal both opportunity and risk. Turkish recyclers gain access to feedstock, potentially lowering their dependence on domestic collection.

However, if Turkish processing capacity cannot keep pace with import volumes, the risk of mismanagement, stockpiling, burning, or dumping, increases.

The 2 percent decline in overall EU exports suggests that some waste is being managed within the EU, but the 19 percent increase to Türkiye indicates that displacement, not reduction, remains the dominant trend.

When Waste Crosses Borders

503,000 tonnes of plastic waste crossed from the EU to Türkiye in 2025. That is 503,000 tonnes that did not remain in European landfills or incinerators, but also 503,000 tonnes that Türkiye must recycle, not just receive.

The question for Turkish recyclers is not whether they can import more waste. It is whether they can process it responsibly.

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