9 December 2022
The Plastic Soup Foundation cheered when the Environment Committee of the European Parliament voted in favour of a ban on the export of plastic waste outside the European Union.
It is an amendment to the proposed new regulation on shipments of waste (EWSR) by the European Commission and has a very clear message: Europe must no longer export its waste, but take responsibility for it itself.
In response to a report by the Plastic Soup Foundation entitled A neocolonial plastics scandal and the Parliamentary Questions that followed, the Dutch Government recently spoke out against an export ban. The Cabinet claims that the regulation as proposed by the European Commission will be sufficient to prevent the continuation of the current malpractices and environmental damage.
MORE STRINGENT RULES FOR EXPORTING WASTE
The European Parliament’s Committee on Environment, Public Health, Food Safety (ENVI) wants a further strengthening of the EWSR entailing a ban of exports of plastic waste to non-OECD countries, such as Indonesia.
The export of plastic waste to OECD countries outside the European Union, such as Turkey, must stop within four years. Indonesia and Turkey are examples of countries where the import of plastic waste from the EU leads to numerous environmental problems and health issues.
There needs also to be greater transparency about transporting waste within the EU. The amendment was accepted with 76 votes for, none against, and only four abstentions.
DUTCH GOVERNMENT TIED UP IN KNOTS
In its report, the Plastic Soup Foundation states that the Netherlands is the largest exporter of plastic waste to non-Western countries in the EU. The report led to questions being raised in Parliament. But in answer (in Dutch) to questions by the liberal political party VVD and in answer (in Dutch) to questions by the green political party GroenLinks, Minister Heijnen (Infrastructure and Water Management) and Minister Schreinemacher (Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation) said that the new EWSR would give enough guarantees to prevent environmental damage in third countries.
Apart from this, the Ministers claim ‘force majeure’: the EU currently does not have the capacity to recycle the plastic waste itself and thus has no other option than to export it. It is not only Dutch waste. Plastic waste from other EU countries is also exported from Rotterdam.
A PROPOSAL IS NOT A LAW
A vote in the plenary meeting of the European Parliament will determine whether the Parliament is unanimous in supporting a ban. The vote is expected to be held in January. The Council of Europe, in which all the member states have a seat, also needs to look at the proposed revision of the EWSR. If a ban on the export of plastic waste is to be passed, the member states need to embrace the amendments of the European Parliament. If so, four things may happen.
- No more environmental damage in non-Western countries caused by our waste
- If Europe recycles its own waste it will lead to the desired circular economy
- Pressure to produce and use less plastic as not all plastics can be recycled
- Pressure to only produce plastic that can be recycled easily.
How can the Dutch Government not support this?
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