Turkey recycles more than half of plastic bottles in market


Recycling plastic products is one of the main concerns in the world as plastic waste materials are the chief environmental problem.

Turkey managed to recycle more than half of the plastic bottles in the market last year.

According to information from the Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning, out of 236,000 tons of plastic bottles sold last year, 140,000 tons were recycled. In the first quarter this year, 17,500 tons of plastic bottles was recycled to be used again.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), ministry official Mustafa Öztürk said the recycling economy in Turkey is a growing sector and all waste materials from glass to tires, paper boxes and plastics are recycled in the 600 facilities licensed by the ministry.

With the law that entered into force in 2017 requiring package producers to use at least 4 percent of waste materials in their products, recycling has peaked in Turkey. From recycled materials, recycling facilities produce polyester, fibers and thread along with recycled plastic materials.