The Swiss voice in the world since 1935

How do you feel about countries shipping their rubbish abroad?

Hosted by: Geraldine Wong Sak Hoi

Switzerland participates in a global waste trade that sees around 180 million tonnes of rubbish crossing borders each year. But did you know that the EU estimates about a third of its waste is traded illegally, both between member countries and abroad?

Waste trafficking isn’t just an environmental crime that rakes in billions in dirty profits; it also causes serious health and environmental problems.

China, once the biggest importer of plastic waste, banned all solid waste imports starting in 2017 because of the pollution they caused.

Does your country import waste? Do you think these imports should be banned, or are there greener ways to handle this trade? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Rosita Welcker
Rosita Welcker
The following contribution has been automatically translated from ES.

I don't agree and that does damage the environment because receiving waste !

No estoy de acuerdo ya eso sí daña el ambiente porque recibir desechos !

swisstester123@gmail.com
swisstester123@gmail.com

All countries should self dispose of the waste their inhabitants excrete.
Period.

Geraldine Wong
Geraldine Wong SWI SWISSINFO.CH
@swisstester123@gmail.com

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. One expert I talked to said we also need to rethink our consumption habits. The more we consume, the more waste we produce. So maybe we also need to consume less in order to have less waste to deal with afterwards. Do you agree?

swisstester123@gmail.com
swisstester123@gmail.com
@Geraldine Wong

In Switzerland, due to high prices of buying and disposing of stuff, we already consume way less than other prosperous countries like US, UK or Germany.
Yes certain less consumption means less waste. It is logic. However, I don't think that solves the problem of garbage disposals.

sona swlly
sona swlly
The following contribution has been automatically translated from PT.
@swisstester123@gmail.com

that would be "ideal", but that's not the case!!! because each country has different sizes, and the separation of the waste in nature has different disposal methods.

seria o ""ideal" "porém, não é o que acontece!! pois cada país tem tamanhos diferentes, e a separação do mesmo na natureza ,tem tem formas diferentes de descarte.

Maurício Manoel da Silva
Maurício Manoel da Silva
The following contribution has been automatically translated from PT.

We have to reduce rubbish production, that's the only way to avoid exporting it.

Temos que reduzir a produção de lixo, somente assim evitariamos a exportação.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR