Secret Canada-U.S. Plastic Waste Trade Deal Revealed
SEATTLE, Washington, December 18, 2020 (ENS) – Environmental groups are calling a secret agreement on plastic wastes signed between Canada and the United States “illegal, unacceptable and dangerous.” In a letter to Canadian Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson earlier this month, Canadian, U.S. and international environmental organizations called for the secret agreement to be made public.
They expressed their concerns that the agreement violates the new Basel Convention amendments on plastic wastes, which becomes international law on January 1, 2021. The Canadian government has claimed that it supports these amendments and promised to ratify them, but it has not yet done so.
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On January 1, 2021, new Basel Convention controls on international shipments of non-hazardous plastic waste will go into effect in countries around the world. As Parties to the Convention implement their obligations, companies can expect new prior informed consent, contract and documentation requirements on most transboundary shipments of plastic waste. Because the United States is not a party to the Convention, many shipments of plastic waste to or from the United States will be prohibited beginning on January 1, 2021. In the near term, the new requirements will make it more burdensome to move plastic products and waste internationally for recycling, increasing legal and business risks for those companies committed to advancing circular economy business models for plastics.