Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna announced not long ago that the government has awarded a contract to a shipping company, Bollore Logistics Canada, that will return the 69 containers filled with household waste and electronic garbage.
“The company will begin preparation for shipping in the coming days. The removal will be complete by the end of June as the waste must be safely treated to meet Canadian safety and health requirements,” Sabrina Kim, spokesperson for Environment and Climate Change, said in a news release.
Safe and environmentally sound disposal in Canada of the waste material will take place before the end of summer 2019. The costs associated with the preparation, transfer, shipment and disposal of the waste will be assumed by the government of Canada.”
This is all that is left of the 103 containers shipped by a private Canadian company to the Philippines in 2013 and 2014 – all improperly labeled as containing plastics for recycling. The matter of the containers filled with garbage was brought to the attention of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during visits to the Philippines in both 2015 and 2017.
The diplomatic debate over Canada picking up its garbage has continued to the point that in April this year, Duterte announced that if Canada didn’t take back tons of trash within the next week he will “declare war” and ship the containers back himself.
Talks finally spiraled out-of-control and last week Manila recalled its ambassador from Ottawa because Canada missed a May 15 deadline to repatriate the garbage. This incident led to this morning’s announcement by Duterte’s spokesman.
As a result of this offending delay, the president has instructed the appropriate office to look for a private shipping company which will bring back Canada’s trash to the latter’s jurisdiction,” Duterte spokesman Salvador Panelo told reporters
