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EU Bans Plastic Waste Exports; UK Sends Record 675k Tonnes

5/1/2026

Summary

Story summary

The European Union will prohibit plastic-waste exports to non-OECD countries from 21 November 2026.
The United Kingdom exported a record 675,000 tonnes of plastic waste in 2025, the second-largest volume after Germany’s 810,000 tonnes, prompting activists to label the trade waste colonialism.
Half of shipments go to Turkey and Malaysia, straining their limited processing capacity, while Turkish marine biologist Sedat Gündogdu says the Turkish Mediterranean coast is the most polluted because of imported waste.

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Story summary

The European Union will prohibit plastic-waste exports to non-OECD countries from 21 November 2026.
The United Kingdom exported a record 675,000 tonnes of plastic waste in 2025, the second-largest volume after Germany’s 810,000 tonnes, prompting activists to label the trade waste colonialism.
Half of shipments go to Turkey and Malaysia, straining their limited processing capacity, while Turkish marine biologist Sedat Gündogdu says the Turkish Mediterranean coast is the most polluted because of imported waste.