UnitelmaSapienza hosted an insightful seminar on March 25th, 2026, organized by the BiT – Bioeconomy in Transition Research Group.
The event focused on “The externalization of the environmental cost of European plastic waste: A Case from Türkiye”, shedding light on a critical and often overlooked global issue.
🎤 During the seminar, Prof. Dr. Sedat Gündoğdu explored how, following China’s 2018 ban on plastic waste imports, Türkiye has become a major destination for European plastic waste.
A key focus was on microplastic pollution, one of the least visible yet most pervasive consequences. In regions such as Adana, untreated wastewater from recycling facilities is discharged into irrigation canals, increasing microplastic concentrations. These pollutants contaminate agricultural soils and eventually reach the Mediterranean Sea.
The discussion also highlighted broader systemic issues, including a rise in facility fires and illegal dumping, raising concerns about the effectiveness of current global waste management systems in protecting vulnerable ecosystems.
The seminar provided an important opportunity to reflect on environmental responsibility and the global implications of waste trade.
