Trudeau: Ottawa trying to figure out disposal of Canadian trash rotting in Manila

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. INQUIRER FILE

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he reassured President Rodrigo Duterte that his government is trying to figure out how to get rid of thousands of tons of Canadian trash that are now rotting in the port of Manila.

The household waste includes soiled diapers in about 100 shipping containers and have been sitting in the port for four years. It is a well-known issue in the Philippines and the subject of protests by environmentalists

Trudeau admits that the garbage has been a longstanding irritant but was the result of commercial transaction that didn’t involve government, according to a report by the National Post.

The Philippines let the containers in because they were disguised as recyclable plastics. On inspection customs officers found that they were with reeking household trash.

The trash, about 2,500 tons in all, could be sent back to Canada, but who will pay for it remains a question, says Trudeau.

He says Canada has already removed a legal hurdle that had prevented the waste from being returned.

“I committed to him, as I’m happy to commit to you all now, that Canada is very much engaged in finding a solution on that,” Trudeau said, referring to his talks with Duterte.

“I expressed to President Duterte, and I have the assurance of my officials both here in the Philippines and back in Canada, that we will continue to work on this and hopefully resolve this situation.”

In 2014, the Philippine government recommended the containers be returned to Canada under the provisions of the Basel Convention, which prohibits developed countries from shipping waste to developing nations.