Quezon City – After the Canadian waste was shipped back to Canada last week, another controversial waste shipment, this time a 40-foot container van containing shredded gadgets and computers from Hong Kong, is being sent back today from the Mindanao International Container Terminal. The shipment has apparently been in the terminal since January 2, but only discovered on May 22.
Bureau of Customs Port Collector John Simon opens a container van containing 22 sling bags of 2.561 tons of mixed electronic wastes before it will be sent back to Hong Kong at the Mindanao Container Port Terminal in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental.
Greenpeace is calling for the Philippine government to ratify the Basel Ban Amendment, which prohibits the import of all waste for any reason, including “recycling.”
Lea Guerrero, Country Director, Greenpeace Southeast Asia – Philippines, said: “We commend our customs inspectors for spotting this illegal waste shipment, and the quick action on the return of the waste to Hong Kong. In contrast to the return of the Canada waste last week, this shipment is being sent back in full transparency, and with the presence of civil society and media.
An electronic-waste inside a container van before it is officially shipped back to Hong Kong at the Mindanao Container Port Terminal in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental.
Greenpeace is calling for the Philippine government to ratify the Basel Ban Amendment, which prohibits the import of all waste for any reason, including “recycling.”
“While it is a good thing that this waste shipment was discovered, preventing the entry of other waste shipments from Hong Kong, this and the other similar cases are a clear indication that the Philippines is wide open to illicit waste importation. We see a pattern of misdeclaration, falsified documents, fake businesses, and loose regulatory systems that allow this to happen. What about the waste shipments that have escaped inspection?
“As a first step, the government needs to implement a comprehensive ban on waste shipments and ratify the Basel Ban Amendment. However, we also need to plug internal holes in the system–whether faulty regulations, inadequate monitoring, or corruption. Otherwise, we will continue to be at the receiving end of waste shipments–and worse, unable to hold responsible countries and parties accountable.”
Media contacts:
Lea Guerrero, Country Director, Greenpeace Southeast Asia – Philippines
+63 908 885 1140 | [email protected]
Angelica Carballo Pago, Media Campaigner, Greenpeace Southeast Asia – Philippines
+63 949 889 1332 | [email protected]
Discussion
That’s what you need; Philippines government a “QUICK DECISIONS REGULATIONS” on anything violations on unsustainable deals or violations on regulation on incoming shipments.?????? Naintindihan na nila. ~~~ Cargo was opened by Phils. receiving group. When you open a cargo & find out the content of the containers are different from the “shipping listed”. They can immediately declared a VIOLATION of shipping rules. They should be done many years ago because these were “done as a STANDARD SHIPPERS RULES.