Netherlands ranks top offender for EU plastic waste exports to vulnerable countries, shows report
13 Sep 2022 --- The Netherlands is the EU’s largest exporter of plastic waste and, per capita, the worst offender in the world, according to a new report by the Dutch nonprofit group the Plastic Soup Foundation. In a new report, the organization found the Netherlands is increasing the rate at which it ships hazardous waste to vulnerable countries despite international legislation attempting to limit the practice.
In 2021, the Dutch exported over 211 million kilograms of plastic waste, of which almost 70 million kilograms went to Indonesia and almost 64 million kilograms to Vietnam. This represents a twofold increase in exports to vulnerable nations compared to 2020.
Legislation such as the EU Waste Shipment Directive and the Basel Convention have attempted to limit this type of activity in the knowledge it exploits developing nations that cannot properly manage the waste.
Speaking to PackagingInsights, Jurjen de Waal, campaign manager for the foundation, says he was surprised by the increase in exports. “This was shocking to us because we know that much waste is mismanaged in these countries, leading to environmental and public health disasters.”
Plastic waste shipments to developing nations are a cheap option for many countries, but the practice comes at an ethical price.Political action
Dutch politicians have in the past attempted to tackle the issue. During the G20 in 2019, Stientje van Veldhoven, the minister for environment and housing, stated: “Western countries should no longer export plastic waste. Not to Malaysia, not to Indonesia, not anywhere.”
“We should be able to process our own plastic waste ourselves instead of sending it by boat to other parts of the world. This is something we need to agree on internationally.”
The EU is currently in the process of updating its Waste Shipment Regulation, which is a perfect opportunity to implement a ban on all plastic waste exports to countries outside the EU, argues Plastic Soup Foundation.
Last year, the European Commission (EC) pledged more resources to the anti-fraud office OLAF, specifically to ramp up policing on waste trafficking.
“We urge the Dutch government to take this position to the EC. However, nothing has happened till now, almost three years later,” says De Waal.
Calling on industry
While legislation is not in place to stem the flow of plastic to poorer countries, Plastic Soup Foundation calls on all packaging industry players to voluntarily take action against the practice.
“The packaging industry can join us in urging the EC to introduce a ban on all plastic waste exports to countries outside the EU. Next to that, we need to really cut down the production and consumption of single-use plastic packaging as the majority of plastic waste comes from these products,” urges De Waal.
“The packaging industry is largely responsible for the production of these products and should shift toward reusable alternatives and more sustainable materials.”
International waste shipping is a highly lucrative business, both legally and illegally. Prior to 2018, China imported most of the world’s plastic waste. After banning the practice, wealthy Western countries suddenly had to take their waste somewhere else.
Since then, the trade has shifted to vulnerable countries that do not have the right infrastructure to properly process that waste. Where the bulk of plastic waste used to go to China, it now goes mainly to countries in Southeast Asia.
Incineration and landfill in these countries cause serious public health issues, and littering along the region’s extensive coastlines adds to endemic marine pollution.
By Louis Gore-Langton
