Hazardous Waste Recycling: No Justification for Toxic Trade

Very quickly following the first international toxic waste trade scandals that took place in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the environmentally friendly word “ recycling” began to increasingly be used by waste traders to justify the export of hazardous wastes from rich to poorer countries. Today, this rationalization for toxic waste trade for industrial wastes continues. Virtually all existing hazardous waste trade , legally or illegally, is said to be exported for recycling. These exports range from industrial wastes to postconsumer wastes such as old computers and other electronic wastes, to even asbestos laden seagoing vessels.