Dutch PVC Waste Exported to Asia Despite Int'l Agreement

["greenbase" <greenbas@gb.greenpeace.org>]

DUTCH PVC WASTE STILL EXPORTED TO ASIA DESPITE INTERNATIONAL
AGREEMENT Greenpeace calls for an end to "delayed dumping".

Amsterdam, 4 February 1998 -- Greenpeace activists from the
Netherlands, Germany and the Philippines today closed down a
PVC-scrap export company in Lelystad, the Netherlands. The
entrance of the company was blocked, as Greenpeace urged the
Dutch Government to "stop exports of PVC waste". One Greenpeace
activist of Dutch nationality got wounded during the protest.

"The Netherlands should stop using Asia as its dumping ground. 
By allowing the export of PVC waste to Asia, the Dutch
Government is party to the poisoning of  workers and  the
environment in our region", said Von Hernandez of Greenpeace.
"This behaviour is shameful and tends to undermine the Dutch
government's  commitment in international negotiations to stop
the export of hazardous waste to developing  countries."

Huge amounts of PVC waste produced in the Netherlands are
regularly shipped to Nigeria, Pakistan and the Philippines.
Research shows that since 1990, more than 100,000 metric tons
have been exported. Greenpeace traced the Dutch exporter Daly
Plastics BV, which obtained a permit to ship 3,500 tons of PVC
(approximately 140 truckloads) to one single company in the
Philippines in 1998. This quantity of PVC waste alone is more
than the post-consumer waste which is recycled in the
Netherlands every year.

The Dutch  plastic waste exported to Asia is recycled into
various products of  poor quality they end up in burning
dumpsites in a few years.  The quality of the products made from
recycled PVC is so low that there is no demand for them in the
Netherlands. The pipes that are manufactured in the Philippines
are only suitable for temporary projects or low-cost housing .

Moreover, recycling PVC in countries with few or no
environmental regulations is dangerous, because PVC contains
chlorine and toxic additives. Workers in recycling factories in
Pakistan and the Philippines suffer horrific working conditions
and present respiratory problems, allergies, skin and eye
irritations.

This PVC waste is not recycled in the country of origin, because
of higher wages and higher product standards. Even if the
plastic can at first be recycled, sooner or later it will end up
on an Asian dumpsite or it will be burned, releasing toxic
substances like dioxin. 

"Sending the scrap to Asia is in fact delayed dumping," said
Sabina Voogd of Greenpeace.

In 1994, the Parties of the Basel Convention agreed to ban the
export of hazardous waste from OECD to non-OECD countries for
dumping and recycling purposes.  The ban, which took effect in
January 1998, was ratified by the European Union in September
1997.  European legislation has been amended accordingly. Since
it came into  existence, the ban has faced fierce opposition
from countries that  wanted to keep exporting hazardous waste. 
The next Conference of  Parties will meet at the end of February
in Malaysia. 

"If we can't handle our own waste, we shouldn't be producing it
in the first place", added Voogd. "Instead of assessing poor
countries for their capacity to treat European waste, the
Netherlands should rather assess their production technology
back home, so as to promote non-toxic alternatives". 

ENDS

Greenpeace on the Internet at http://www.greenpeace.org