Recycling. Over 1/3 of UK plastic exported 8000 miles to China

international | environment | other press Monday September 20, 2004 06:21 by R. Isible

Guardian article about "recycling"

John Vidal in the Guardian reports on the massive export trade of plastic, aluminum, paper and glass to China (over 8000 miles away) created by EU directives. He quotes a UK recycler who can't compete with the cheap labour and lack of environmental standards in China.

Greenpeace China is quoted as saying that much of the work is done by exploited migrant labourers being paid a pittance and that the UK is dumping its waste in the name of recycling.

Time to look at where Ireland (which forcibly closed it's only Irish recycling plant for glass and has no plastics or paper recycling) is dumping its rubbish.