Federal inspectors have intercepted tonnes of illegal plastic waste exports in the past three years, records show. MPs voted in 2021 to abolish the black market trade, but saw a ban lapse in the Senate..“No financial fines other than administrative monetary penalties have been issued for illegally shipped or transported waste overseas,” the Department of Environment wrote in an Inquiry Of Ministry tabled in the House of Commons. Fines ranged fraom $400 to $2,000..According to Blacklock's Reporter, inspectors would not name scofflaws. Agents intercepted a total of 824 tonnes of plastic waste that was shipped without permits to Hong Kong and unidentified ports in Belgium, India, Liberia, Malaysia, South Korea and Vietnam. Undetected shipments average 100,000 tonnes a year, by official estimate..“Out of respect for the presumption of innocence and taking into consideration privacy interests and the potential for impact on commercial interests the department’s policy is not to release identifying information with respect to enforcement measures applied where no conviction is recorded,” said the Inquiry..The figures were requested by Conservative MP Scot Davidson (York-Simcoe, Ont.), sponsor of a plastic export ban that lapsed in the Senate last August 15. The House of Commons the previous June 2 passed the bill by a vote of 179 to 151..“It is clear we cannot continue to send our plastic waste overseas where it is devastating the environment,” Davidson said at the time. “Canada needs to show leadership on this important issue before it is too late.”.“These plastics are all too often landfilled, illegally dumped or incinerated,” said Davidson. “Canada is an industrialized nation with capabilities far beyond those of the developing world. We must put an end to the practice of exporting plastic waste to foreign countries.”.Bill C-204 An Act To Amend The Canada Environmental Protection Act proposed to outlaw exports of 31 types of plastic waste. Regulations would have allowed cabinet to amend the list of banned items by executive order. Cabinet was given one year from the bill’s passage to enforce the ban..Cabinet opposed the bill, citing a cross-border trade in waste to the United States. “It may or may not be enforceable,” Liberal MP Chris Bittle (St. Catharines, Ont.), then-parliamentary secretary for the environment, said earlier. “Investigation may or may not be possible.”.The House of Commons was told Canada’s plastic waste shipments to foreign markets over a four-year period totaled almost 400,000 tonnes with shipments to Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and other countries. China in 2018 banned shipments of foreign plastic recyclables..“If the Liberals truly cared about addressing the issue of exporting our waste to poor countries they would have voted to bring this bill to committee,” New Democrat MP Laurel Collins (Victoria) earlier told the House Commons.
Federal inspectors have intercepted tonnes of illegal plastic waste exports in the past three years, records show. MPs voted in 2021 to abolish the black market trade, but saw a ban lapse in the Senate..“No financial fines other than administrative monetary penalties have been issued for illegally shipped or transported waste overseas,” the Department of Environment wrote in an Inquiry Of Ministry tabled in the House of Commons. Fines ranged fraom $400 to $2,000..According to Blacklock's Reporter, inspectors would not name scofflaws. Agents intercepted a total of 824 tonnes of plastic waste that was shipped without permits to Hong Kong and unidentified ports in Belgium, India, Liberia, Malaysia, South Korea and Vietnam. Undetected shipments average 100,000 tonnes a year, by official estimate..“Out of respect for the presumption of innocence and taking into consideration privacy interests and the potential for impact on commercial interests the department’s policy is not to release identifying information with respect to enforcement measures applied where no conviction is recorded,” said the Inquiry..The figures were requested by Conservative MP Scot Davidson (York-Simcoe, Ont.), sponsor of a plastic export ban that lapsed in the Senate last August 15. The House of Commons the previous June 2 passed the bill by a vote of 179 to 151..“It is clear we cannot continue to send our plastic waste overseas where it is devastating the environment,” Davidson said at the time. “Canada needs to show leadership on this important issue before it is too late.”.“These plastics are all too often landfilled, illegally dumped or incinerated,” said Davidson. “Canada is an industrialized nation with capabilities far beyond those of the developing world. We must put an end to the practice of exporting plastic waste to foreign countries.”.Bill C-204 An Act To Amend The Canada Environmental Protection Act proposed to outlaw exports of 31 types of plastic waste. Regulations would have allowed cabinet to amend the list of banned items by executive order. Cabinet was given one year from the bill’s passage to enforce the ban..Cabinet opposed the bill, citing a cross-border trade in waste to the United States. “It may or may not be enforceable,” Liberal MP Chris Bittle (St. Catharines, Ont.), then-parliamentary secretary for the environment, said earlier. “Investigation may or may not be possible.”.The House of Commons was told Canada’s plastic waste shipments to foreign markets over a four-year period totaled almost 400,000 tonnes with shipments to Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and other countries. China in 2018 banned shipments of foreign plastic recyclables..“If the Liberals truly cared about addressing the issue of exporting our waste to poor countries they would have voted to bring this bill to committee,” New Democrat MP Laurel Collins (Victoria) earlier told the House Commons.
