CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Misamis Oriental, Philippines —“This is a victory for the Filipinos.”Thus declared an official at Mindanao Container Terminal (MCT), who presided over a ceremony to ship back hazardous waste to Hong Kong. The 2.56 tons of electronic waste from China’s special administrative region were shipped back on the SITC Nagoya, which left the port on June 3, four months after the trash arrived. By quickly returning the waste and skipping bureaucratic delay, the country is sending a clear warning to waste traffickers to stop sending foreign waste to the Philippines, said Aileen Lucero, EcoWaste Coalition national coordinator. The amendment aims to prohibit the export of hazardous waste and other trash from developed to developing countries for any reason, including recycling. Bill banning waste importsA lawmaker whose province was the recipient of tons of trash from South Korea, Hong Kong and Australia has called for a total ban on the importation of waste.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer June 03, 2019 23:24 UTC