Written by Nerissa Demetriou - Editor: Zeynep Yılmaztürk
What if I told you that your old laptop, which you have exchanged for a newer model and responsibly sent to a recycling center, is now languishing in a landfill in Indonesia?
Now, add to that, the fact that at least 49% of all the plastic you’ve ever used and recycled is now glistening under the blazing sun in a vast landfill in Turkey, or more so reduced to ashes and long since released into the atmosphere as toxic fumes.
From plastics and electronics to textiles and metals, thousands of shipping containers filled with waste are exported around the globe every year. This is the ramification of the modern waste trade. The waste trade is essentially the practice of higher-income countries exporting their unprofitable scraps to lower-income countries because it’s easier for them to offload waste elsewhere.
Out of sight out of mind, right?
Nonetheless, waste trade acts as a double-edged sword; for what is deemed as a short-term “economic opportunity” for higher-income nations, it also catalyzes what is commonly regarded as a new form of colonialism. But what are the motives behind these mass waste exports beyond raw economics? Moreover, could there be a sustainable and equitable approach to address waste colonialism and mitigate its negative impacts?
As we uncover the systemic issue of the waste trade, a number of questions emerge that demand answers: How did the term waste colonialism come to be?
Why do import countries accept the waste from other countries?
Moreover, what are the actual consequences of this practice- both immediate and far-reaching?
These are among the central questions we seek to explore as we plunge into the depths of the waste trade’s intricacies and its potential future trajectory.
What is waste colonialism?
Waste trade is aligned with a new form of colonialism as it reflects historical patterns of exploitation, environmental degradation, and breaches of human rights, thereby mirroring the dynamics of traditional colonialism.
Why do import countries accept the waste from other countries?
Many countries accept waste imports because they simply do not have much of a choice. Global inequalities often leave lower-income nations without the economic power or leverage to refuse the shipments, particularly if they rely on the exporting nations for trade, loans, or investments.
However, the swelling numbers of waste shipments are a consequence of yet another oppressive practice, resembling the Trojan Horse of waste colonialism. Namely, approximately 23-29% of waste shipments are illegal, with these shipments often being mislabelled as “recyclables”, or “commodities” and even sent to unauthorised facilities.
Moreover, since some materials, such as sorted scrap metals, may hold value to the import countries, the tactic of deceptive labelling becomes even more insidious.
To illustrate the scale of corruption, the global waste trade has paved the way for not only heaps of plastic but also for bribery of officials and the involvement of organised criminal gangs. It's like a noir detective story, but the mystery is why there's so much interest in your old yoghurt containers.
Why do wealthy countries export waste to poorer countries?
From our dopamine-driven purchases of cheap garments, to single-use plastics like water bottles that we interact with for merely a fleeting moment, the underlying issues glare at us in our daily lives. Simply put, overconsumption, plastic overdependence, and the dominance of major industries such as fast fashion have led to a situation where most wealthy nations produce more waste than they can handle.
Precisely, high-income countries consume six times more resources compared to low-income countries. For instance, while the EU is recognised for having one of the most effective recycling systems globally, it still exported more than one million tonnes of plastic waste in 2023. This highlights not only the overconsumption prevalent in wealthier nations but also the failure to adopt designs that embrace the principles of a circular economy.
Between avoiding high recycling disposal costs and strict environmental regulations, along with avoiding the negative repercussions from mismanaging waste, high-income nations have one option left: exporting waste to countries with lower labor costs and lenient regulations. This strategy shifts the burden of waste management to the recipient countries.
So what Happens to the Waste?
Waste colonialism manifests when wealthier countries export waste to countries that frequently lack the necessary infrastructure and regulations to safely manage the materials received. Some of the most common practices for managing the imported waste includes the following:
Illegal dumping in places like rivers, forests, or villages where dumping isn't authorised.
Incineration: Waste is openly burned, frequently near residential areas.
Unsafe recycling: Waste is handled in low-tech, frequently illegal recycling facilities, by workers with minimal rights or safety measures.
The mismanaged waste often leads to the release of microplastics and leakages through toxic chemicals into the air, surface waters and the ocean. Consequently, the receiving countries are left to face the environmental, social and health repercussions.
As we reveal the corruptive effects of waste colonialism, you might be wondering; are there any existing regulations in place that counter the issues that come with waste exports? If so, what are their potential shortcomings that have allowed the scale of exported hazardous waste to lower-income countries to persist?
The Basel Convention:
The Basel Convention is an international treaty designed to regulate the disposal of waste exports, specifically hazardous waste, to non-OECD countries. The regulation is implemented through its prior informed consent (PIC) procedure, which ensures that any hazardous waste being moved across borders is only done so with the knowledge and consent of both the exporting and importing countries.
Nevertheless, the Basel Convention falls short when it comes to ensuring that the receiving company actually has the facilities for managing the type of waste in question. This occurs for various reasons, such as deceitful use of waste codes, fake documentation, as well as other forms of corruption in exploiting control loopholes.
“Traffickers may report they have a suitable facility when they only have a shed with a blocked conveyor belt, which cannot sort anything, much less recycle it.” - Claudia Salvestrini, 2023, director of the Italian polyethylene goods recycling consortium Polieco, original source.
“Tag you’re it”:
Say that illegally trafficked waste was discovered in a port city. According to both the Basel Convention and European regulation, exporting countries are mandated to reclaim illegally trafficked waste. In theory, this should be straightforward. In practice, however, it often doesn't occur, as the responsibility tends to shift between authorities over time. Just like in the game “tag, you're it”, accountability is continuously passed along without resolution.
The Last Straw
China's 2017 decision to ban most plastic waste imports was a pivotal move. Other nations like India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam have also taken measures against imported plastic waste. For example, Indonesia and Thailand have implemented a ban on all plastic waste imports as of January 2025.
Confronting waste colonialism compels a collective and interdisciplinary approach, where governmental bodies, NGOs and consumers unite efforts to foster sustainable development. That said, how does each sector play their role in addressing this matter?
Let’s start by breaking down the waste value chain into three key stages: production, recycling systems, and disposal. This breakdown allows us to outline the potential actions that can significantly improve waste management, both at the level of national governments and through influential entities like the EU.
In order to address the problems caused by the waste trade, we must take the issue by its root; the production stage. Without addressing it, the weeds of waste will keep sprouting, even in the most refined recycling and disposal systems. This involves minimizing the amount of waste generated in the first place. Such can be achieved by developing more recyclable and reusable products, as well as seeking sustainable alternatives to increase circularity.
In a circular economy, products are designed to be reused, recycled, and repurposed, rather than having a one-way ticket to the landfill. It's all about closing the loop and keeping resources in use for as long as possible.
Some initiatives that work towards enforcing a circular economy, include the global treaty by the UN’s Environment Assembly and the Circular Economy Plan Europe. These initiatives highlight measures such as eco-design and taxes on virgin plastic.
The Waste Framework Directive, an EU-led initiative, emphasizes minimizing waste generation at the source through the Waste Hierarchy Paradigm.
Making less is the most important goal—and the most politically charged one, given the immense profits and political power of plastic producers. -Douglas Main, 2023.
When addressing the issues around waste, transforming our recycling systems remains crucial as it can define the course of a discarded item’s fate; landfill, or new chance as a resource?
A prime example of transformation is Sweden’s recycling system, which has effectively altered the perception of waste altogether. In fact, Sweden has successfully turned waste into a 100 million USD worth business venture. By replacing fossil fuels with waste to produce energy, Sweden not only makes profit through importing and recycling waste from other countries but also achieves an impressive recycling rate of 99%. It turns out, not everything that glitters is gold; sometimes, it's 1.1 million tons of plastic.
Among Sweden’s examples reside efforts by companies like Carbios. Unlike conventional methods, their technology enables the recycling of all types of PET waste, producing 100% recycled and 100% recyclable PET products without any loss of quality. Plastic and textile waste are developed into valuable raw materials, paving the way for the circular economy to become an industrial reality.
If a discarded item has reached the stage of disposal, it usually means one thing: the two prior stages of its journey have failed. In other words, the loop of circularity has been broken, and thus, materials that were not reused, recycled, or recovered for energy, are on their way to be landfilled or incinerated.
Be that as it may, there are still measures that can be taken at this stage, which, at the very least, could prevent further issues such as waste colonialism itself. Such measures entail rule reformations on waste exports. For instance, the updated Waste Shipment Regulation effective from 2027, includes a ban on plastic waste exports to non-OECD countries. Furthermore, other measures aim to conduct transnational investigations on waste trafficking through OLAF. Nonetheless, it is imperativel that other non-EU countries adopt similar measures.
Ideally, waste should not be transported out of a country unless it has been properly treated and reclassified as a non-waste material. After all, as much as we tweak shipment regulations, they will be rendered pointless if we don’t tackle waste production at its core.
“To stop the waste trade definitively, countries need to take responsibility for their own waste. If it can’t be managed locally, it should not be produced or allowed on the market.” - Condamine, P., 2022.
As we reach the conclusion of this discussion, we have covered everything from waste colonialism’s roots to its possible antidotes, only to be left with the lingering question: have all my efforts in recycling- like diligently separating plastics and metals from household waste- been in vain?
Which brings me to an important consideration: what can we, as individuals, do to contribute to a more circular and sustainable future?
For starters, we can reduce the amount of waste that needs to be produced in the first place. This does not mean that you need to adopt a zero waste lifestyle overnight, but maybe next time you go to grab a take-away coffee, you could bring a reusable thermos with you. Gone shopping? Don’t forget to take your tote bags with you! Spotted a hole in your shirt? Before rushing to replace it with a new one; grab a needle and thread to mend it!
If you are looking for further sustainable habits that you can welcome to your life, start by scanning your home for single-use products. How many of these could you progressively replace with reusable alternatives? Start off with your toiletries; cross shampoos and hand-wash that come in plastic bottles off your shopping list. Next time, opt for bar soap and shampoo bars. Next, turn to your wardrobe; could your upcoming clothing needs be met at a second-hand store, or perhaps through an eco-friendly brand?
Likewise, you can check out the following resources that can help you gradually embody habits that align with a more sustainable future.
Guides for Sustainable Consumerism- Resources with Sustainability Ratings for Existing Brands: Good On You, Better World Shopper, Boycott Lists, Ethical Consumer.
Getting started on reducing waste in your daily life: 21 Ideas for Zero Waste Living, Love of Earth co.
Initiatives that work towards tackling waste pollution and raising awareness on related issues: BreakFreeFromPlastic, Greenpeace, ZeroWasteEurope.
In a nutshell, maybe separating your plastics from your metals won’t combat the waste trade at large, but it sure does set waste on the right path toward responsible management. That said, let’s pledge that we, as individuals, play our part while also holding corporations and governments accountable to make significant changes further upstream in the value chain of waste- right at its production. Meanwhile, keep marking what you stand for, one bamboo straw at a time.
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