Harmful Effects of Plastic Recycling
In a recent report by Human Rights Watch, the impact of Plastic Recycling cannot be neglected. For instance, Turkey has been one of the countries that is highly suffering from the harmful effects of plastic recycling at present.
Not only is recycling impacting workers, but also the people living in the nearby areas, including children. This could be attributed to the government’s failure to enforce laws and regulations which require licensing and inspection of recycling facilities.
A significant contribution to such abuses involves plastic waste imported from the European Union. In order for these plastic wastes to be recycled, it must be shredded, washed, and melted. Such a process often emits air pollutants and toxins that do not have suitable protection, hence leading to chronic health effects.
Addressing the matter, the Human Rights suggests, “Turkish Ministry of Environment must conduct an independent inspection of recycling facilities in order to ensure compliance with environmental regulations and make information about toxic exposure readily available.”
“Lastly, countries such as the EU that export plastic waste must take steps to manage it domestically (such as making use of eco-plastics) instead of shipping it off to other countries that run on weak governments of environment.”
