The Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change has prepared a comprehensive plan to reduce the environmental impact of single-use plastics, marine litter and microplastics in Türkiye.
Fatih Turan, director general of environmental management at the ministry, said the “Single-Use Plastics, Marine Litter and Microplastics Roadmap” includes 44 actions across short-, medium- and long-term timeframes and research into alternative products that could replace plastics.
Turan said Türkiye continues to pursue environmental and climate change initiatives both nationally and internationally. He noted that the country is a signatory to several international agreements, including the Paris Agreement, and that the ministry actively monitors European Union directives and other developments related to environmental and climate issues.
The General Directorate is responsible for managing all waste-related processes, including household, industrial, forest, agricultural, mining, used tire and plastic waste, Turan said. “All of these fall under the waste category, and regulations need to be implemented. There are serious efforts to reintegrate waste into the economy under circular economy principles, using waste as a resource and generating added value,” he said.
Highlighting the global scale of the challenge, Turan noted that plastic production rose from 1.5 million tons in the 1950s to over 400 million tons in 2022 and is projected to reach 1.2 billion tons by 2060. He added that plastic waste accounts for roughly 50% of total global waste, but only 9% is recycled. Of the remaining waste, half ends up in landfills, while 25%-30% is discarded into the environment without recycling.
Turan explained the environmental and health hazards posed by plastics. “Plastics are petroleum-based, so their decomposition and disposal in the environment take a very long time. Recently, the global effects of plastic pollution have reached a more advanced stage. Microplastics enter marine life and fish, and when we consume these as food, they can reach humans. Microplastics have even been found in snow in Antarctica.”
He added: “We sometimes encounter them in the water we drink. Studies show that microplastics can penetrate packaged water if storage conditions are not appropriate. For public, human and environmental health, it is beneficial to produce plastics in a controlled manner. Eliminating them from our lives in a single day is not easy. There is an established industry, employment, production and export related to this.”
The roadmap divides actions into short-term (2025-2028), medium-term (2028-2032) and long-term (from 2033 onward) measures, encompassing roughly 44 initiatives. Turan said the actions will be implemented in collaboration with relevant ministries, academic institutions, public organizations, municipalities and nongovernmental organizations.
“We are conducting R&D on alternative products that can replace plastics. Within this scope, there are initiatives to use biodegradable materials, materials that decompose quickly in nature instead of existing plastics, and, in cases of force majeure, to ensure materials are recycled, recovered and used without creating new waste or polluting the environment,” he said.
According to surveys conducted by the Turkish Statistical Institute, more than 80% of participants support measures against single-use plastics. Turan said legislation on single-use plastics will be updated between 2025 and 2027, while the Packaging Waste Control Regulation will be implemented in 2028-2032.
“Some single-use plastic products will face restrictions or bans, while others will be required to use biodegradable alternatives. In the long term, circular business models, such as reuse and refill systems, will be promoted,” he said.
Turan also emphasized the responsibility of citizens in managing plastic waste. “We are in the summer season; we go on picnics. We buy plastic forks and knives from the market. Even if we don’t leave them at the picnic site and dispose of them in garbage bins, they are still resources. If we do not implement recycling, we need space in landfills for thousands of tons of waste every day, which is unsustainable.”
He added: “On average, 1.5-2.5 kilograms of waste is generated per person daily. For 80 million people, this amounts to roughly 40 million kilograms of waste daily. Eventually, storage space will run out. Therefore, while institutions will fulfill their responsibilities, all 86 million citizens must act as environmental ambassadors and volunteers.”
Turan highlighted international examples of single-use plastic bans and cited the Zero Waste Initiative, implemented under the auspices of first lady Emine Erdoğan, who is also the chairperson of the U.N. High-Level Advisory Board on Zero Waste. “The initiative has enabled significant practices across seven continents in seven years,” he said.
Under the Zero Waste Blue program, efforts continue to prevent plastic waste in marine and lake environments, with awareness campaigns targeting citizens. Teknofest Blue Homeland, he added, is not only crucial for the defense industry but also serves as a key component of the Zero Waste Blue initiative to protect marine environments.
Turan said the ministry is preparing the 2025-2028 National Circular Economy Action Plan. “Ministries and public institutions across the country will continue to work within circular economy principles, including recycling all waste, preventing pollution, minimizing waste and ensuring that all uses are made of recyclable materials as much as possible. This way, Türkiye will continue to compete at the highest level internationally in environmental matters,” he said.
