European Union Prepares to Restrict Waste Imports

Selçuk Gülsün, Chair of the Board of PAGDER (Plastic Manufacturers Association), stated that the European Union is preparing to restrict waste imports from third countries and that this will have significant consequences for Turkey. "EU countries have realized over the years that the waste they have been exporting is actually recyclable raw material, and they are now taking steps to process this resource themselves. When we evaluate this application together with the mandatory use of secondary raw materials introduced under the Green Deal framework, in the medium term this could emerge as a significant obstacle to our exports to EU countries," he said. [caption id="attachment_144672" align="aligncenter"] PAGDER Chair Selçuk Gülsün[/caption]

Emphasizing that a significant portion of recyclable waste generated in Turkey is not sorted at source and ends up in landfills, Gülsün continued:

"The urgency of establishing a source separation system, which we have been advocating for years, is increasing day by day. Turkey's plastic recycling sector has long been sourcing quality waste with continuity from European countries, as it cannot obtain it domestically, and by recycling this waste, it supplies our country's industry with secondary raw materials. However, EU countries are now beginning to implement a strategy to position themselves in this rapidly developing industrial sector. We are talking about an industrial sector that is estimated to have an average annual growth rate of 11.3 percent by 2050, and the main source of source-separated waste, which is the most needed resource in this sector, is the EU countries. If these countries cut off waste exports, it will mean that nearly 50 percent of the capacity of Turkey's plastic recycling sector, which has grown rapidly in recent years, will become idle. Therefore, necessary steps must be taken immediately to establish an effective source separation system in our country."  

Global secondary plastic raw material production is not yet ready to meet this demand

"Global secondary plastic raw material production is not yet ready to meet this newly created demand. Although Turkey's plastic recycling sector has very high capacity, it meets 50 percent of its recyclable waste needs through imports. The main reason for this is that a source separation system has not been established in our country, and therefore our manufacturers' access to quality waste is limited. If imports from EU countries, which are our main source of recyclable waste, are restricted in the coming period, other domestic sectors may also be affected in their exports."  

Stating that EU countries are attempting to create a non-tariff barrier by utilizing the quality waste sources at their disposal, Gülsün concluded:

"EU countries are trying to provide advantages to their domestic producers by creating a monopoly in secondary raw material production and by making the use of secondary raw materials mandatory for exports to the EU. By properly evaluating these developments, strategies that take into account the interests of all stakeholders should be determined to preserve our industry's competitiveness."