Viewfinder: The Philippines Returns Imported Plastic Waste to Canada

Author:: Pacific Standard Staff
Publish date:: May 31, 2019

A transport vessel is berthed to load waste materials at the port in Subic Bay, north of Manila, Philippines, on May 30th, 2019. Over 60 containers of waste were loaded onto a ship at Subic Bay on Thursday after Canada's government said it will take back trash that was illegally dumped in the Philippines between 2013 and 2014. According to reports, Canada agreed to cover the full costs of repatriation as relations between both countries have been strained. The government of the Philippines said the shipments of waste caused port congestion and have been a hazard to public health, and President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to go to war if Canada does not remove the trash. — *A transport vessel is berthed to load waste materials at the* port in Subic Bay, *north of Manila, Philippines,* on May 30th, 2019. Over 60 containers of waste were loaded onto a ship at Subic Bay on Thursday after Canada's government said it will take back trash that was illegally dumped in the Philippines between 2013 and 2014. According to reports, Canada agreed to cover the full costs of repatriation as relations between both countries have been strained. The *government of the Philippines said the shipments of waste caused port congestion and have been a hazard to public health, and* President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to go to war if Canada does not remove the trash.
(Photo: Jes Aznar/Getty Images)

Viewfinder is Pacific Standard's daily photo feature, showcasing one image from the news.

A sculpture made from over 2,500 plastic bottles recovered from beaches, rivers, and streets from around the United Kingdom is seen outside the Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs as part of a stunt by environmental campaign group Greenpeace on February 25th, 2019, in London, England. The sculpture was delivered to DEFRA to apply pressure on Environment Secretary Michael Gove to move forward with a proposed deposit return scheme for bottles and cans bought in the U.K.

A sculpture made from over 2,500 plastic bottles is seen outside the Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs on February 25th, 2019, in London, England.

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A resident secures the roof of his house to a tree in preparation for Super Typhoon Mangkhut.

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Residents flock to a local polling precinct to cast their votes on February 6th, 2019, in Tubod, Lanao del Norte, southern Philippines.

Workers sort recycling material at the Waste Management Material Recovery Facility in Elkridge, Maryland, on June 28th, 2018.

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India just banned imported scraps of plastic, leaving countries like the U.S. with limited overseas options for where to send their plastic waste.

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A man smokes marijuana during a legalization party at Trinity Bellwoods Park in Toronto, Ontario, on October 17th, 2018.

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The body of an alleged drug dealer is seen inside a Jeepney after a large-scale anti-drug raid by the police at a slum community in Manila, the Philippines, on July 20th, 2017.

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