Canada has left Thousands of Tons of Canadian Garbage rotting in the Philippines

 A recent visit to the Philippines by Justin Trudeau was fraught with controversy. Filipino activists have been challenging Trudeau to remove the thousands of tons of Canadian trash that is sitting in Manila’s port. The numerous shipping containers that have been sitting there are assumed to include old wire, CDs, used plastic cups and soiled adult diapers, among other garbage.

 This sitting, rotting Canadian trash is hardly a new occurrence. The containers have been stationed in the Philippines for 4 years now. Trudeau committed to a “Canadian solution” roughly two years ago however nothing has seemingly come of this.

 In the meantime, more than 100 waste containers crammed with rotting trash has left a lingering stench. Across the Philippines, it’s made headlines, and has been identified as an environmental and public health risk for the country. Filipino activists and officials have been urging Canada to repatriate this waste.

 In case you’re wondering how Canadian landfill garbage came to end up in the Philippines. The shipping containers were allowed into the Philippines disguised as recyclable plastics. As custom officials were conducting their routine inspections, officials found stinking garbage and landfill waste. Customs designated the material as potentially hazardous and impounded the shipments.

 Trudeau’s trip to the Philippines was meant to highlight the strong Canada-Philippines relationship. Despite two years passing since Trudeau’s initial comment, it’s evident that Canada-Philippines environmental concerns may not be a priority for the federal government.

 There are major concerns that the trash may have already contaminate the area where it is being stored. The intense rains that hit the Philippines likely mean that toxins have gradually leaked into the soil.

 Since 2014, the Philippine government has made repeated inquiries to Canada to remove the trash. Canada has refused to move on this, despite breaking the Basel Convention which prohibits developed countries from shipping waste to developing nations.

 There are rumours that the Canadian government is searching for an environmentally safe way to go about garbage collection in the Philippines however an upcoming court decision may mean the trash being transported back to Canada. The case is currently before the courts in the Philippines and officials from both countries continue to work towards a solution. Despite repeated statements communicating an intent to resolve this problem, the trash remains. At this point, it’s not even publicly known what commercial company was responsible for shipping these containers to the Philippines.

 For Canada, this is troublesome news. The country is well known for having a strong reputation in environmental health yet there are specific incidents like these that tell otherwise. Canada has the resources and the means to remove and treat the waste, and yet for years, nothing has happened. This story also is an example of how dangerous waste is. The removal and treatment of waste is key in ensuring that the environment is protected. The increasing movement towards improving waste disposal in Canada is a strong marker in how important it is to keep the environment a priority when treating trash.