Policy Framework on Single-Use Plastics in Türkiye

Policy Framework on Single-Use Plastics in Türkiye

Plastic pollution has evolved beyond a conventional waste management issue that can be addressed solely through disposal capacity. It has become a multi-layered governance challenge closely linked to production and consumption patterns, resource efficiency, marine ecosystems, public health, municipal costs, and circular economic policies. Global plastic production increased from 234 million tons in 2000 to approximately 460 million tons in 2026.1 Plastic waste generation rose at a similar rate over the same period.2 Only about 9% of this waste has been effectively recycled, while a substantial share has been incinerated, buried in landfills, or leaked into the environment.3 In 2019 alone, an estimated 22 million tons of plastic materials leaked into the environment, much of it due to inadequate collection and waste management systems.

In this context, the core structural problem of plastic pollution lies in the fact that current systems attempt to intervene only after waste has already been generated.6 Particularly for short-lived plastic products with low economic value that are widely dispersed and prone to contamination, the problem does not arise at the waste stage but rather begins at the stages of product design and market placement. Consequently, the emerging policy approach focuses not only on expanding recycling capacity but also on establishing systemic interventions through prevention, reduction, reuse, refill systems, extended producer responsibility, and product design requirements. Addressing the issue therefore requires coordinated action by governments, businesses, NGOs, academia, and consumers to limit the production and consumption of single-use plastics.