Investigative Media Exposes Illegal Waste Trafficking in Myanmar: A Global Crisis

Journalists from the investigative media Lighthouse Report, Politico, Frontier Myanmar et Prachatai English in a collective investigation which quickly spread around the world, heading towards South Asia, Myanmar in particular. An investigation which reveals the extent of illegal waste trafficking and its consequences while the European Parliament is considering banning all exports of waste outside the EU borders.

Because you should know that since 2018, China, until then the main importer of our plastic waste, has decided to close its doors to Western waste for environmental reasons. And the entire global waste market has since been destabilized. Millions of tons of plastic, several billion dollars of revenue looking for buyers. And Europeans are very embarrassed, it must be said, since after China, it is Malaysia, and soon Thailand and Myanmar which prohibit all imports of plastic waste unless it is already ready to be recycled . A major question at the heart of transition issues and which confronts us with the reality of our overconsumption. The journalists therefore focused on Myanmar which, despite the ban on foreign garbage, continues to import it, sometimes illegally, and with the tacit agreement of the military junta in power…

A joint investigation of Lighthouse Report, Politico, Frontier Myanmar and Prachatai English signed Allegra Mendelson, Rachel Moon*, Kyaw Zin*, Nandi Theint*, Charlotte Alfred, Eva Constantaras, Thin Lei Win, Nalinee Maleeyakul, Kannikar Petchkaew, Sicha Rungrojtanakul, Tewarit Maneechai, Mia Rabson, Mariusz Sepiolo, Louise Boyle, Leonie Cater, Louise Guillot, Myanmar Data Citizens *Names changed for security reasons.