Canada and the Philippines are close to ending a feud over tons of unwanted trash.
By Regine Cabato , Regine Cabato Email Bio Follow Shibani Mahtani and Shibani Mahtani Reporter covering Southeast Asia Email Bio Follow Emily Rauhala Emily Rauhala Staff writer covering Canada and foreign affairs Email Bio Follow May 23 at 6:52 AM MANILA — After weeks of trash talk, a diplomatic row between the Philippines and Canada over containers of household garbage is nearing an end after Ottawa promised late Wednesday to take the waste back by the end of June.
Duterte’s response to the waste dispute “is typical of grandstanding performances to play to the galleries, without regard for external impact or potential backlash,” said Jay Batongbacal, a professor at the University of the Philippines who specializes in maritime law. “The costs associated with the preparation, transfer, shipment and disposal of the waste will be assumed by the government of Canada,” McKenna said, adding that her country values its “deep and long-standing relationship” with the Philippines.
Last week, the Philippines recalled its ambassador to Canada after the country failed to meet a May 15 deadline to reclaim the garbage. Although the dispute was initially a private matter involving the Canadian company, the Philippines’ escalation of the issue highlighted efforts by countries in the region to ensure they do not become dumping grounds for waste from the West. Wealthier countries export millions of tons of plastic and other waste to places in Asia, but when China banned such practices in early 2018, it sent the industry into a tailspin.
When China instituted a ban on importing plastics, countries in Southeast Asia rushed to replace it. A Greenpeace report found that this led to unregulated dumping and burning in countries such as Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. Mountains of waste have piled up in these countries, overwhelming local recycling facilities and landfills.
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