UK takes back waste dumped on Brazil

[Judi Lynn]

Source: The Independent

UK takes back waste dumped on Brazil
By David Brown in London


Monday July 20 2009

BRITAIN is preparing to take back more than 1,400 tonnes of toxic waste said to have been exported illegally to Brazil for recycling.

The UK's Environment Agency said that it would pay for the return of 90 shipping containers that have arrived at several South American ports in the past few months.

The allegations have increased concern about the illegal trade in hazardous waste that goes on despite international laws preventing export without strict safeguards. The Brazilian authorities said that the waste in the containers included syringes, bags of blood, condoms and nappies.

Seats from chemical toilets and used bandages were also reported to be mixed with bales of recyclable plastic, while other containers held computers, televisions and car batteries.

Public resentment was fuelled in Brazil when one container was found to include dirty toys with a note in Portuguese saying that they should be washed before being given to "poor Brazilian children".




Read more: http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/uk-takes-back-waste-dumped-on-brazil-1830325.html

---

Sunday, 19 July 2009

Britain dumping Toxic Waste in Ghana

~snip~
It is unlikely that Britain will for instance send its toxic waste to a country like Norway, so one may wonder why Brazil and Ghana have become recipients of Britain's toxic waste? It is perhaps not so difficult to figure out. Due to the emerging global economy, some individuals or interest groups in Britain could find it a lucrative business opportunity to buy unprocessed toxic waste from certain British 'suppliers' and have such toxic waste material dumped in economically developing nations such as Brazil and Ghana, rather than in a country such as Norway or (even better) having such materials processed in Britain. It is likely that a country like Norway has laws as well as adequate enforcement in place to prevent such toxic waste from entering their country, not to mention the possible higher cost involved. Brazil has also shown that it has such laws in place as well as the will to enforce a ban on any illegal shipments of toxic waste into their country, thus causing this embarrassing BBC news feature about toxic waste being sent back to the UK from Brazil.

~snip~
This kind of material should be disposed of by the host country and not sent abroad, to end up on toxic waste dumps that are frequented by animals and even by destitute children, especially when this can be easily processed by such western countries.

~snip~
In the UK, it is illegal to ship toxic waste to other countries the way it has been done to Brazil and to Ghana. British authorities on the BBC news website were quoted as saying:

"We do prosecute people. We've had a number of successful prosecutions in recent years. And in fact in the crown court, people can be fined unlimited amounts and prison sentences are imposed."

More:
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=165640