Send your letter to Minister Wilkinson demanding compliance with movement of plastic waste

Elizabeth May, Green Party MP, asking Environment Minister Wilkinson a question in the House of Commons December 8, 2020 on the Canada-US Arrangement and the Minister’s response – empty and deceptive!

Join us in continuing to hold Minister Wilkinson’s feet to the fire: send your letter demanding transparency and action on hazardous plastic waste.

Letter to Minister Wilkinson*
Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister Environment and Climate Change Canada House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6 Dear Minister Wilkinson, Canada must act decisively to restore its international environmental reputation, in particular, in addressing the management of hazardous wastes. Thank you for releasing the text of the recently signed Arrangement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Canada Canada concerning the Environmentally Sound Management of Non-Hazardous Waste and Scrap subject to Transboundary Movement. I am very concerned about whether this “Arrangement” will jeopardize our compliance with the new Amendment under the Basel Convention. I’m asking for your immediate action on three fronts: #1 Show leadership. Canada must complete the ratification of the the Basel Convention Plastic Waste amendments and, if it has not, then state when it intends to do so. Further, Canada should urge President-elect Biden to commit the US to ratifying the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal including its Amendments. #2 Be Principled. Canada must ensure that plastic wastes leaving Canada and entering the US will not be able to be exported to third countries. The Arrangement lacks provision for prior informed consent for all export of plastic waste between Canada and the United States and so must be immediately amended so that it provides an equivalent level of control as the Basel Convention, in particular a strict prohibition of re-export of those waste transferred from Canada. Otherwise, what is to prevent Canadian waste from being trans-shipped from the US to developing countries when the US, a non-party to the Basel Convention, is not bound to prevent such exports? And what is to prevent plastic wastes from being burned in cement kilns, steel mills and other furnaces when exports of any waste plastic bound for R1 destinations is, according to the new Basel amendments, to be subject to prior informed consent? (R1 defined as using plastic waste as a fuel other than in direct incineration #3 Be Transparent. Has Canada reported this arrangement to the Basel Secretariat as required under Article 13, 3 (e)? Thank you for your immediate attention to my questions. Sincerely,
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Send your letter to Minister Wilkinson demanding compliance with movement of plastic waste

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