Sedat Gündoğdu is a marine biologist and environmental researcher at Çukurova University, Türkiye. His work focuses on plastic and microplastic pollution, with a special emphasis on plastic waste trade, its socio-political dimensions, and climate implications. With a background in fish population dynamics and ecological modeling, he shifted his research focus after witnessing firsthand the plastic pollution crisis along Türkiye’s Mediterranean coast. Since then, he has published extensively on microplastics, marine debris, and the environmental and public health risks associated with plastic waste. Sedat’s interdisciplinary approach combines natural sciences, environmental policy, and public engagement. He has led or participated in numerous national and international projects, including collaborations with NGOs, municipalities, and academic institutions. He is also a founding member of the Scientists' Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty and actively contributes to public discourse through media, scientific publications, and civil society networks. Sedat’s research has informed policymaking in Türkiye and the EU, especially on issues related to imported plastic waste and environmental justice. His current focus is on revealing the hidden climate costs of global waste flows and advancing equitable, data-driven waste governance.
Plastic Waste Trade Between Germany/EU and Türkiye: A Specific Emphasis on Its Climate Effect
This project investigates the climate implications of the plastic waste trade between Germany and Türkiye—an underexplored issue that sits at the nexus of environmental policy, international cooperation, and climate change. By integrating quantitative life-cycle assessment models with qualitative political analysis, I aim to estimate the greenhouse gas emissions associated with different scenarios for imported plastic waste, including incineration, recycling, and open dumping. These emissions have remained largely invisible in policy debates, yet they contribute to climate injustice and undermine global climate commitments.
The project will also explore how the plastic waste trade affects German-Turkish relations, shapes environmental diplomacy, and raises concerns around waste colonialism and regulatory accountability. Through interviews, stakeholder workshops, and media engagement, the project will generate both scientific outputs and policy-relevant insights. An online dashboard and a final conference will ensure broad dissemination of the project results. Ultimately, this research aims to inform transparent, climate-conscious waste governance in Türkiye and the EU, foster stronger cooperation between stakeholders, and position the plastic waste trade as a critical yet overlooked component of climate action and environmental justice.
Policy Framework on Single-Use Plastics in Türkiye
The IPC-Mercator Policy Brief “Policy Framework on Single-Use Plastics in Türkiye (Türkiye'de Tek Kullanımlık Plastiklerin Yönetimi)” by 2025/26 Mercator-IPC Fellow Sedat Gündoğdu was published.
Please click here to read the document.
The Environmental, Climate, and Labor Costs of the Fast Fashion Industry in Turkey and Worldwide: Problems and Proposed Solutions
The IPC-Mercator Policy Brief ''The Environmental, Climate, and Labor Costs of the Fast Fashion Industry in Turkey and Worldwide: Problems and Proposed Solutions (Türkiye ve Dünyada Hızlı Moda Sektörünün Çevre, İklim ve Emek Maliyeti: Sorunlar ve Çözüm Önerileri)'' by 2025/26 Mercator-IPC Fellow Sedat Gündoğdu was published.
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COP31 Dialogues 1—Action Agenda
The first event in the "COP31 Dialogues" series titled "Action Agenda (Eylem Gündemi)," organized as part of IPC's preparations for COP31, took place on April 16 at IPC Karaköy.
Please click here to watch the event.
Plastocene Talks 4: Plastic Pollution, Waste Collectors and Environmental Justice
The Initiative hosted the fourth meeting of the "Plastocene Talks" seminar series, "Plastic Pollution, Waste Collectors and Environmental Justice (Plastik Kirliliği, Atık Toplayıcıları ve Çevresel Adalet)," convened by 2025/26 Mercator-IPC Fellow Sedat Gündoğdu. The event was held on April 8 at IPC Karaköy with the participation of Ali Mendillioğlu and moderated by Sedat Gündoğdu.
Please click here to watch the event.
Plastocene Talks 3: Green Washing in Plastics - The Recycling Fairy Tale
The Initiative hosted the third meeting of the "Plastocene Talks" seminar series, “Green Washing in Plastics - The Recycling Fairy Tale (Plastikte Yeşil Yıkama - Geri Dönüşüm Masalı)” convened by 2025/26 Mercator-IPC Fellow Sedat Gündoğdu. The event was held on March 11 at IPC Karaköy with the participation of Mehveş Evin and moderated by Sedat Gündoğdu.
Waste, Climate and Environmental Justice at COP31: What's at Stake?
The Initiative, in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), organized a closed roundtable discussion initiated by 2025/26 Mercator-IPC Fellow Sedat Gündoğdu titled "Waste, Climate and Environmental Justice at COP31: What’s at Stake?" on February 27 at IPC Karaköy.
Plastocene Talks 2: Food, Textiles, and Invisible Exposure - Plastic Inside and Out
The Initiative hosted the second meeting of the "Plastocene Talks" seminar series, "Food, Textiles, and Invisible Exposure - Plastic Inside and Out (GIda, Tekstil ve Görünmeyen Maruziyet - İçimiz Dışımız Plastik)" inititated by 2025/26 Mercator-IPC Fellow Sedat Gündoğdu. The event was held on February 11 at IPC Karaköy with the participation of Gürkan Akgüneş and Utku Yılmaz and moderated by Sedat Gündoğdu.
Please click here to watch the event.
Plastocene Talks 1 - Anthropocene, Capitalocene, Plastocene: Welcome to the Plastic Age!
The Initiative hosted the first meeting of the "Plastocene Talks" seminar series, "Anthropocene, Capitalocene, Plastocene: Welcome to the Plastic Age! (Antroposen, Kapitalosen, Plastosen: Plastik Çağına Hoşgeldiniz!)" inititated by 2025/26 Mercator-IPC Fellow Sedat Gündoğdu. The event was held on January 14 at IPC Karaköy with the participation of Utku Perktaş and moderated by Sedat Gündoğdu.
Synthetic Fashion and Beyond: Fast Fashion, Climate, Plastic and the Future of Textiles
The Initiative organized the event "Synthetic Fashion and Beyond: Fast Fashion, Climate, Plastic and the Future of Textiles (Sentetik Moda ve Ötesi: Hızlı Moda, İklim, Plastik ve Tekstilin Geleceği),” convened by 2025/26 Mercator-IPC Fellow Sedat Gündoğdu with the participation of Selin Uğurtaş, Urska Trunk, İlkan Özkan, Cansu Sipahi, Beysu İnal Şenermen, Aslı Odman, İpek Yalçın Enis, and İlkşen Dedeoğlu Demiray on December 10 at IPC Karaköy.
"Nasıl Bir Dünya? Nasıl Bir Türkiye?" with Beysu İnal Şenermen and Sedat Gündoğdu
Beysu İnal Şenermen and Sedat Gündoğdu were hosted at the "Nasıl Bir Dünya? Nasıl Bir Türkiye?" program titled “The Impact of Fast Fashion on the Environment, Health and Climate” organized by the IPC-Sabancı University-Stiftung Mercator Initiative in cooperation with Medyascope.
Please click here to watch the event.
Welcoming Event for the 2025/26 Mercator-IPC Fellows
The Welcoming of the 2025/26 Mercator-IPC Fellows was held on October 15 at the Sakıp Sabancı Museum with the Keynote Speech "Why so Easy? Reflections on the Crisis of Liberalism" by Ivan Krastev. The speech was followed by welcoming remarks of IPC Director Senem Aydın-Düzgit, Stiftung Mercator Executive Director Wolfgang Rohe and Vice President of Sabancı University Mehmet Yıldız. The event concluded with a movie screening that introduced the 2025/26 Mercator-IPC Fellows Ali Baydarol, Burcu Karakaş, Damla Bayraktar Aksel, Moritz Zackariat, Francesco Pasta, Sedat Gündoğdu and Jacopo Franceschini.
Pleace click here to watch the introduction video of our researchers.
