Illegal Waste Export Incident in Subic Bay, Philippines and Japan - January 2020

Illegal Waste Export Incident in Subic Bay, Philippines and Japan - January 2020

2020, an incident involving the illegal export of approximately 5,000 tons of plastic waste from Japan to Subic Bay in the Philippines was uncovered. The company involved in this waste export was "Toa Environment Corporation," which illegally sent mixed plastic waste to the Philippines that did not meet recycling standards. These wastes were not properly processed locally, causing environmental pollution. The Philippine government severely condemned this illegal export and demanded that the waste be shipped back. Japan was forced to send the waste back again.

Of the waste that arrived in Subic Bay, approximately 3,500 tons were stacked in the open, and 1,200 residents have reported health problems. The toxic substance dioxin has been produced and air pollution has become serious. In addition, lead and cadmium concentrations in the groundwater exceeded standard values, causing respiratory illnesses and health problems to spread among nearby residents.

In Japan, the Ministry of the Environment imposed a fine of approximately 500 million yen on Toa Environment Co., Ltd. and filed criminal charges against the employees involved. The company had submitted false export applications and ignored Philippine regulations. This incident demonstrated the inadequacies of waste export management and drew growing criticism in Japan.

In response to this incident, Japanese monitoring of waste exports was strengthened, requiring strict segregation and third-party inspections for the export of mixed plastic waste. Furthermore, the Basel Convention was revised in 2021, tightening restrictions on plastic waste exports. The Philippines and Malaysia have established import restrictions, severely limiting waste imports from Japan.

According to a 2020 survey, about 30% of waste exported from Japan is untraceable, and lack of control over waste trade remains an issue. Going forward, there is a need to increase domestic recycling processing capacity and strengthen monitoring systems to prevent companies from exporting illegally.