Illicit trade in waste: it is time to raise the alarm and mobilize

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the continent of Asia is the world’s largest dumping ground for illegally traded waste. The region also grapples with the enormous amount of plastic waste it generates on its own, which has already wreaked havoc on local ecosystems. In fact, a 2017 Ocean Conservancy Report noted that China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam have been dumping more plastic into the oceans than the rest of the world combined.