An international nonprofit organization has uncovered rampant sales of plastic trash being exported from wealthy to developing countries in violation of international laws.
John, when you take out your recycling for pick-up each week, you might not expect just how far it’ll travel. But an international nonprofit organization has uncovered rampant sales of plastic trash being exported from wealthy to developing countries in violation of international laws.
In 2021, 187 countries agreed to add plastic waste disposal to the U.N.’s Basel Convention which restricts the transfer of hazardous material between countries. While this agreement has made a significant impact, there are many nations, including the United States, who haven’t stopped their practices.
The Basel Action Network (BAN) found that the U.S. offloaded 800 million pounds of plastic waste to Mexico, Malaysia, India, Vietnam, and other nations last year. The United States is one of only eight countries that haven’t ratified the laws established last year by the U.N. and its actions are in direct violation of the Basel Convention.
Our recycling industry is a massive obstacle standing in the way of the United States from stopping our illegal trade of plastic trash. Our current system does not sort its plastics by single polymers, such as PET, which is a requirement for plastic waste sales under international law. Because our recycling facilities don’t have the capacity to separate recyclables, most plastics have to be sent straight to landfills.
This Earth Week, we have to take a whole-of-planet approach. We can’t shove off our pollution problems to other countries and call it "mission accomplished."We need to take accountability and crackdown on illegal plastic waste trading at the source: by limiting single-use plastics.
Thanks to your help in 2020, SEEC PAC was able to re-elect over 95% of our pro-environment members to the U.S. House of Representatives — defying the odds on a night where Democrats lost seats. Now we are counting on you to help our SEEC members pass climate, clean energy and environmental justice policies in the 117th Congress while we undo the damage of the Trump Administration. But if you'd like to receive fewer emails, we understand. You can click here to only get our most important messages, or you can unsubscribe.
The Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition Political Action Committee (SEEC PAC) is an organization that supports members in the U.S. House of Representatives and candidates who fight for clean energy, climate change solutions, environmental justice, and protection of our nation’s clean air, water, wildlife, and public lands. Will you make a donation to our fight today?
Paid for and authorized by the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition Political Action Committee. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.
Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition Political Action Committee 10 E Street, SE Washington, DC 20003 United States
