(PIXABAY / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) and the EcoWaste Coalition jointly called for a robust ASEAN-level policy that will protect the region’s 655-million human population and its “rich but threatened biodiversity and ecosystems” from the adverse impacts of global waste dumping.
The groups’ plea for a regional stance to prevent foreign waste dumping came on the heels of the Asia Environmental Enforcement Awards (AEEA), where recipients from Malaysia and the Philippines were recognized for their work in combating transboundary environmental crime. This resulted in the re-exportation of unlawful plastic waste imports to their countries of origin.