Garbage: A Global Problem and the 'Imperialism of Garbage'

The problem of waste management remains global, with serious environmental and social consequences. After every fire in Cyprus, illegal landfills are revealed, due to a lack of culture and adequate management structures.

Journalist Alexander Klapp, in his book 'The War of Garbage, Reports from the World's Landfills,' describes the 'imperialism of garbage.' He refers to images from Africa, China, and Turkey, where waste management creates huge problems.

A typical example is Agbogbloshie in Ghana, a shantytown that receives thousands of tons of damaged electronics from Europe and the United States. The waste is dismantled and burned, causing serious pollution and health problems for residents.

Until 2018, China received a large part of Europe's plastic. Today, Turkey is the largest recipient, resulting in large amounts of plastic ending up in rivers or being burned, such as in Izmir. Klapp argues that frequent fires in recycling centers are no coincidence, as they are an easy way to get rid of waste.