Sri Lanka also returned the last batch of 263 containers of about 3,000 tons of garbage illegally shipped to the UK to the South Asian archipelago this week, Sri Lankan official sources said.
Ajit, deputy director general for the environment, said the last 45 containers were set off on Monday.
The customs service of the Asian country identified a large amount of waste two years ago, which, according to the customs statement, was supposed to contain recyclable materials, including mattresses, carpets and springs, but the unpleasant smell aroused the interest of customs officers who opened the containers. With rotting and often dangerous waste. For example, materials from mortuaries were found.
In 1992, Colombo ratified the Basel Convention on the Storage and Transport of Hazardous Waste.
Several countries in Southeast Asia have spoken out in recent years against developed countries that ship their waste to the region, indicating that they do not want to provide landfills from industrialized countries. China used to be the main importer of waste in the region, but Beijing announced in 2018, citing environmental reasons, that it would not capture any more waste. After the Chinese decision, exports of waste to other countries in the region increased.
(Opening image illustration.)
Opening image: Matt Mawson / Getty Images
