Envi groups launch task force to stop alleged US e-waste shipments to PH

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Local and international environmental groups on Thursday, June 25, launched a new coalition aimed at stopping what they described as the ongoing illegal importation of electronic waste (e-waste) from the United States (US) into the country through this freeport.

Dubbed the Environmental Task Force Against Illegal E-Waste Imports to the Philippines (END E-WASTE IMPORTS), the coalition is composed of Ban Toxics, the Basel Action Network (BAN), Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) Asia Pacific, Break Free From Plastic-Asia Pacific, Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment, Greenpeace Philippines, Ecowaste Coalition, Center for Environmental Concerns-Philippines, Pangasinan People’s Strike for the Environment, Central Luzon Environmental Action Network, and Kabataan Party-list.

During a press conference in Quezon City, the groups presented aerial images of factories inside the freeport that allegedly showed e-waste stored outdoors and exposed to the elements. 

They also alleged that at least 234 containers of suspected e-waste and one container of plastic waste from the United States had reached the freeport since March 2025.

The allegations stemmed from “Operation Can Opener,” a monitoring campaign by BAN that traces hazardous waste shipments using commercially available trade data and GPS trackers placed inside non-functional electronic devices. Some of the trackers allegedly ended up in factories in Subic.

The coalition said it would campaign to raise public awareness, mobilize communities, and push for an end to alleged illegal e-waste shipments into the country.

According to Ecowaste Coalition National Coordinator Aileen Lucero, the alleged shipments add to previous high-profile waste importation controversies involving countries such as Japan, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, and South Korea.

“Although high-profile dumping scandals have gained public attention, the influx of waste from highly industrialized countries continues because regulatory gaps allow the shipping of items, such as electronic, metal, and plastic scraps, classified as ‘recyclable,’” Lucero said.

The coalition urged the government to implement a ban on hazardous electronic and plastic waste imports and ratify the Basel Convention Ban Amendment, saying these measures would send a clear signal that the country is not a dumping ground for foreign waste.

Courtesy: www.globalnation.inquirer.net