Green groups advocate for comprehensive ban on waste

ENVIRONMENTAL groups on Friday warned that waste shipment would persist in the country until the government enforces a comprehensive ban on all waste imports.

The statements of Greenpeace Philippines and EcoWaste Coalition come after the Bureau of Customs intercepted US waste materials at the Subic Bay International Terminal on Wednesday.

Inside the containers was mixed waste, including old cardboard, plastic packaging and used face masks, that was misdeclared as old corrugated cartons, the groups said in the statement.

“This latest waste importation incident… shows how richer countries, like the US, continue to prey on the Philippines’ loose regulations on waste importation,” they said.

The green groups cited data from The Last Beach Cleanup, which showed that the Philippines has imported over a million kilograms of plastic waste from the United States from January to August this year.

The figure has decreased since last year, but the green groups said it did not include unreported or misreported waste imports.

“Waste trade continues to happen because it is permitted. The fact that we continue to be a dumping ground of countries like the US shows that the government has not been doing enough to stop waste imports. The sad reality is that we don’t have strong policies in place to prevent it,” Greenpeace Philippines campaigner Marian Ledesma said in the statement.

Both Greenpeace and EcoWaste have been appealing for the ratification of the Basel Convention Ban Amendment, which would prohibit the exportation of wastes from developed to developing countries.

The groups are also calling to certify as urgent the pending bills for a comprehensive ban on waste importation.

“To put an end to foreign waste dumping, the government must see to it that these twin legal measures are acted upon without further delay. The ratification of the Basel Convention Ban Amendment and a total ban on waste importation will send a strong message that the Philippines is not a dumping ground, and that rich countries must take full responsibility for managing their waste instead of exporting them to other countries,” EcoWaste Coalition National Coordinator Aileen Lucero said.

The two groups stressed the importance of the two policies, especially now that the Covid-19 pandemic increased waste generation globally.