Cargo ship returns 1,500 tonnes of waste ‘illegaly’ dumped in the Philippines

A cargo ship carrying 69 containers of waste was filmed docking in Vancouver on Saturday, after it departed from the Philippines earlier this month.

The Philippines shipped the containers back to Canada, who they accuse of illegally disposing of it in the Philippines between 2013 and 2014.

The Canadian government announced that the 1,500 tonnes of garbage will be incinerated at the Burnaby Waste-to-Energy plant. The task is expected to take two days to complete.

The shipping of the waste took place after the Canadian government reportedly did not take the steps demanded by Filipino authorities to transport the garbage by May 15, which was a deadline set by Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte.

According to reports, the waste was shipped to the Philippines in 2013 and 2014, allegedly labelled as recyclable material, prompting widespread outrage and criticism in the country.