Canada pressured to take back trash

This photo posted on the online petition on Change.org shows a container van full of hazardous waste that is being held by the Bureau of Custom in the Port of Manila. The petition urges the Canadian government to take back the shipment of 50 container vans full of waste. PHOTO/ CHANGE.ORG PETITION

Environmental groups have vowed to keep up the pressure on Canada to take back its trash which was shipped here illegally two years ago.

Advocacy groups refused to back down even after the Philippine government dropped its demand on Canada to take back the 50 container vans loaded with garbage, agreeing to dispose of the trash locally “for the sake of diplomatic relations.”

The recent discovery of a second illegal trash shipment from Canada loaded in 48 container vans that arrived just a few months after the first shipment led to new protest actions.

“We need to muster extra vigilance to compel Canada to take back their garbage and bring this scandalous smuggling of trash masquerading as recycling to a close,” said EcoWaste Coalition coordinator Aileen Lucero.

She said the issue would remain unresolved until Canada takes back the trash shipment, as provided for under an international treaty against waste dumping signed by both the Philippines and Canada.

“The Philippines is no disposal site for global garbage,” Lucero said.

Two years ago, 50 container vans shipped by Ontario-based Chronic Inc. reached Manila in six batches from June 23 to August 21, 2013.

Passed off as scrap plastic for recycling, the vans were found to actually contain household waste mixed with scrap plastic.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) through the Department of Justice has charged the exporter’s counterpart, Chronic Plastics Inc. based in Valenzuela City, along with the customs brokers with smuggling and violation of the antihazardous waste law.

Last month, the BOC reported having discovered a second batch of 48 container vans of supposed plastic scraps from Canada that had remained unclaimed.

The 48 container vans arrived in four batches from December 2013 to January 2014, or a few months after the first batch.

The vans were consigned to Live Green Enterprise based in San Fernando City, Pampanga.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) washed its hands of the second shipment, saying it did not issue any clearance so the Customs office should immediately ship the vans back.

Lucero said the EMB last week found a sample of the 48 container vans that were transferred from Manila to the Subic port, to also contain domestic waste mixed with scrap plastic.