The US-based Basel Action Network (BAN) as part of efforts to prevent European wastes from being exported to developing nations, managed to stop the shipment of the 37 containers by sending a warning letter to waste shipment authorities and representatives of COSCO Shipping in the Greek port of Piraeus.
The coalition had established that the Cosco Pride boxship was to be loaded with 37 containers full of German plastic waste, which had originally been sent to Turkey but were now slated to be re-exported to Haiphong, Vietnam.
Through the protest letter, the coalition managed to block the shipment after the loading of the containers in Piraeus was stopped on request from the Greek customs authorities.
Photo: VietNamNet
BAN said there are at least 80 more containers full of German plastic waste believed to be sitting in Turkey.
Photo: Dreamstime.com
In 2020, the EU exported around 33 million tons of waste to non-EU countries. Turkey happens to be the EU’s primary dumpsite, receiving 13.7 million tonnes of waste in 2020, followed by India, where 2.9 million tonnes of trash were dumped.
“It is imperative that Germany take responsibility for the wastes they have been dumping in Turkey and now around the globe,” said Nihan Temiz Ata. of Greenpeace Mediterranean in Turkey.