Total waste generation

In Türkiye, a By-law on Landfill was published in 2010 and is aligned with Directive 1999/31/EC on the landfill of waste. With the By-law, the total amount of collected municipal waste that is recycled shall be increased to 60 % by 2035. As of 2024, 94 landfills serve 75.9 million citizens, and this amount corresponds to 94.5 % of the municipal population. In 2023, the amount of waste used as secondary raw materials reached 4.6 Mt and the amount of waste used as fuel reached 2.1 Mt. In line with the principles of sustainability and the circular economy, as well as the zero-waste approach, Türkiye’s waste management strategies and policies are developed according to the national waste management strategy and plan covering the years 2024–2035.

Within the harmonisation process with the EU, Türkiye is on the way to achieving its 2053 net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target. In that context, the country continues to implement the legislation on zero waste adopted in 2019. As a result of a zero-waste project launched in 2017, the recycling rate for municipal waste increased from 13 % in 2017 to 34.92 % in 2023 and 36.08 % in 2024. The aim is to increase the recycling ratio to 60 % in 2035. In addition, work is underway to prepare a national waste management strategy and plan within the scope of a project in the coming periods. The project ‘Development of End of Waste Concept’ in Türkiye was finalised on 17 April 2025. The total waste generation data are compiled through surveys issued to companies that represent the relevant sub-sectors, and to the municipalities.

The total amount of waste generated in Türkiye has increased significantly since 2010 due to growth, especially in the mining and manufacturing industry sectors. The number of companies and the production in these sectors have increased in parallel.