Interpol Seeing Surge in Illegal Trash Trade
Illegal trade in plastic trash has sharply risen over the past two years, mostly driven by criminal organizations that use legitimate pollution management businesses as covers for their operations, Interpol said in an Aug. 27 report. Criminal groups are shipping waste primarily through “multiple transit countries” in Southeast Asia to hide the shipments' origin, Interpol said. The report details “emerging trafficking routes” for illegal trash trade and recommends that governments increase enforcement.
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Some of the rise in illegal trash trade may be due to China's effort to restrict imports of plastic waste, Interpol said. China historically imported almost half of the world’s waste, but when those export channels closed, waste exporters were forced to find alternative routes, including possibly illegal ones. “The challenge of the immediate reconversion of the plastic waste market may have opened the door to illegal business opportunities,” the report said.