Turkish Lawmaker Questions Ministers on Microplastic Pollution and Plastic Waste Imports

A member of the YENİ Party has brought the pressing issues of microplastic pollution and Turkey's plastic waste imports to the forefront of parliamentary discussion. Evrim Rızvanoğlu, a Member of Parliament for Istanbul, submitted two separate parliamentary questions targeting the Ministers of Health and Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change.

Rızvanoğlu's inquiries focus on the effects of microplastic contamination on public health and the environment along the Mediterranean coasts of Antalya and Mersin. She also questioned the alignment of Turkey's plastic waste import policies with the goals set out in the Ministry's "Roadmap for Single-Use Plastics, Marine Litter, and Microplastics." The MP highlighted delays in restricting single-use plastics, the postponement of deposit systems, and the failure to implement effective waste separation at the source nationwide, alongside insufficient oversight to prevent illegal dumping.

Citing data, Rızvanoğlu noted that Turkey imported approximately 503,000 tons of plastic waste from EU countries and around 139,000 tons from the United Kingdom in 2025. She pressed the Environment Minister for the most current data on microplastic levels detected in seawater, sediment, coastal sand, and marine life along Turkey's Mediterranean coast, and asked about changes in pollution levels over the past five years. Rızvanoğlu also sought details on the quantity of imported plastic waste processed in Turkey between 2021 and 2025, specifying how much was recycled and how much was incinerated for energy recovery. Furthermore, she inquired about any scientific impact analyses or risk assessments conducted by the ministry regarding the effects of plastic waste imports on marine pollution.

Addressing the Health Ministry, Rızvanoğlu emphasized the public health implications, referencing scientific studies that have detected microplastics in human blood, placentas, breast milk, and organs. She asked whether Turkey has conducted studies or established a national action plan to determine the effects of microplastics on human health.