The EU has promised to improve its behaviour and reduce the amount of rubbish it dumps abroad. That cannot come soon enough for the communities in low-income nations that are most affected by Europe’s garbage.
A collaborative study conducted by POLITICO, Lighthouse Reports, and other international media partners emphasises how difficult that endeavour will be, since legal gaps and a lack of transparency encourage the flow of illicit exports to nations like Myanmar, where local populations must deal with the pollution brought on by constantly expanding waste mounds.
An outright ban on the export of plastic garbage is being considered by EU lawmakers and member states as part of a larger revision to the bloc’s waste regulations. The inquiry is supported by reporting from the ground and interviews with waste experts and policymakers. Read more-