Baghdad authorities shut four plastic recycling facilities for environmental violations

BAGHDAD — Baghdad Operations Command announced Monday the closure of four plastic recycling facilities in the Zawra district of eastern Baghdad for violating environmental regulations, as part of ongoing efforts to reduce industrial pollution in the capital.

Security forces working alongside teams from the Ministry of Environment and municipal departments carried out the closures, which targeted facilities emitting harmful gases and odors during production. The operation was conducted by an official committee tasked with monitoring and inspecting factories, industrial sites and metal smelting facilities and shutting down unlicensed operations.

The closures follow a similar action Sunday, when the Environment Ministry shut more than 22 illegal metal smelting sites in Baghdad’s Rusafa area. Baghdad has long struggled with pollution from industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, diesel generators and unregulated waste burning. A broader crackdown in December 2025 saw 326 facilities closed, including 208 metal smelting kilns and 118 asphalt and brick factories, following an emergency meeting convened by Baghdad Governor Atwan al-Atwani over what officials described as a deepening air-quality crisis.