At first glance, it is a good news: Since the Malaysian government for the Import of highly contaminated plastic waste, by Statute, has forbidden, much less of it into the country. But there is a downside: Because the plastic waste is still high, where the waste to some. to recycle
Instead of him there, where he came from, the countries on the search for new customers for your waste. Hot now, not Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand, but Indonesia, India and Turkey. The findings of a study of the non-governmental organization Gaia, which has been submitted to the editorial Board of Tamedia.
The report shows for the first time, how quickly the trade with some highly filthy plastic waste from one country to the next shift, and the willingness of the largest plastic waste exporters from the USA, Japan, Germany and the UK take the risk, to flood one country after another with their plastic waste.
“This is a reckless System”
you go to the front in the process, according to the report, according to the same scheme as in the beginning of 2018: at that Time, the Chinese government had stopped the Import of plastic waste from abroad, from one day to the other. A severe blow to many of the industrial countries, which were accustomed to their plastic waste and to solve the problems on the Export – finally, China was for decades the largest buyer in the world.
even then, the obvious solution is to simply look for new customers for the waste was. “As soon as a country to regulate the plastic waste imports are recognized simply to the next, unregulated Destination,” said Kate Lin of Greenpeace in Southeast Asia, “this is a reckless System, and it is increasingly uneconomical”.
And it is dangerous for humans and the environment. Half a year ago, a Greenpeace Report, what can cause hundreds of thousands of tons of plastic waste in a country that has no functioning recycling industry revealed. According to China’s import ban, Malaysia within a few months, the largest importer of this waste and whole tracts of land tailings to waste.
“plastic waste transformed into clean and thriving places into toxic landfills.”Von Hernandez, Greenpeace Southeast Asia
The result of the partly legal, partly illegal imports were mainly in the Region of Kuala Langat to the West of Malaysia serious: again and again, burned mountains of plastic garbage in the open air, the stench of charred plastic was attracted to the respiratory tract of the inhabitants, were added to the dirty waters, and enormous plants die.
The Gaia Report shows that the Situation in Malaysia meanwhile, other countries in Southeast Asia has spread. “The plastic garbage in the industrialized Nations consumes literally all the municipalities and transformed into clean and thriving places into toxic waste dumps,” says Hernandez, Director of Greenpeace Southeast Asia. Although the governments of Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand, have already imposed import restrictions, Turkey, however, has not yet responded, and Indonesia’s industry Minister has recently asked the Minister of the environment of the country, the import ban to lift. In March, the Indian government announced an import ban, however, until September 2019. Until then, the plastic waste exports are likely to go up – and then once again relocate.
plastic waste should in the future be subject to stricter controls. Photo: Arne Perras
Norway wants to stop now and get support from the naturschutzbund Deutschland (Nabu). Plastic waste can be a comparatively exported easily, because he is not subject to strict controls. The country has made the proposal to include mixed or contaminated plastic waste to the group of waste with special consideration. Due to the in force in the EU waste shipment regulation would be an export of such waste is prohibited in Non-OECD countries are the same – also for Germany.
The proposal will be discussed next week at the meeting of the parties to the Basel Convention. The international agreements on the environment regulates the disposal and Export of hazardous waste. 187 Nations, including Germany, have committed to the trade of hazardous waste to comply with certain standards. One of them States that the origin must ensure countries that your waste at risk in the destination country, neither the health of people and the environment – a point that is with regard to the situation in Southeast Asia is quite relevant.
(editing Tamedia)
Created: 24.04.2019, 10:20 p.m.
