The Reality of European Waste exports to Turkey
China received nearly half of the world's waste for processing until a ban in 2018. For the European Union, Türkiye filled the void, and within 2 years, plastic waste imports increased by over a thousand percent. Nearly 80 percent of domestic trash recycled in Türkiye is sorted by trash pickers by hand, who often are migrants unable to find other work. After months of reporting, the photos reveal the reality of how foreign and domestic waste is handled in Türkiye and its impact.
- Editorial Photographer / Photojournalist