Plastic waste trafficking: the need to protect our planet and people from organized crime

Each year, countries around the world produce approximately 400 million metric tons of plastic waste which is exported by the largest waste-producing regions like Europe and North America, to regions with less stringent plastic waste management laws. But this is only the tip of the iceberg: current reporting systems vastly underestimate the volume of plastic waste that is traded globally.

The illegal trafficking of plastic exacerbates the problem, resulting in global implications, and intersects with issues of poor governance, corruption, and money laundering. This waste can also harm both humans and animals as poor management of plastic waste risks plastic and microplastic deposits on land, in rivers, and in oceans.

This year’s World Environment Day’s theme #BeatPlasticPollution allows us to focus on a global issue that not only affects vulnerable communities but also feeds off criminal activities across the world. From lawmakers to law enforcement officers, we all have a role to play to disrupt the trafficking of illicit plastic waste.

I am proud that INTERPOL is doing its part to fight plastic trafficking. Over the years, INTERPOL has worked closely with its 195 member countries to enhance cross-border collaboration and hinder the ability of organized criminal groups to exploit weakly-regulated plastic trade to commit other offences.?

One example of INTERPOL’s work in this field: INTERPOL’s Operation 30 Days at Sea 3.0 , which tackled maritime pollution crimes, found more than 1,000 pollution offences across 67 countries including the illegal discharge of plastic waste. The 2021 operation culminated in 34,000 inspections at sea and inland waterways and the detection of 1,600 marine pollution offences.

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Linking plastic trafficking to organized crime

Despite global efforts to curb plastic pollution, the world is producing more single use plastic waste than ever. Today, fewer than 20% of plastic is recycled globally. The remaining 80% often is at risk of being dumped in landfills, beaches and oceans, or illegally trafficked across borders.

In 2020, INTERPOL launched a strategic analysis report on emerging criminal trends in the global plastic waste market. This report not only found evidence of the involvement of organized criminal groups in illegal trade and management of plastic waste, but also noted that this plastic waste trafficking emerged due to the relatively unregulated trade regulations and a lack of paperwork required to transport hazardous wastes in accordance with the Basel Convention.

Over the years, criminal networks have exploited plastic waste trafficking by forging documents and mislabeling the contents of waste containers, which are expected to carry ready-to-recycle plastic but instead contain forms of unrecyclable plastic. Illegal shipments were found to be coordinated, with criminal groups controlling the entire supply chain, rerouting plastic waste through special economic zones while laundering money.

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Weak waste management systems, inadequate regulations, and corrupt practices?

The lucrative nature of the plastic waste market has resulted in organized criminal groups taking advantage of the market’s rapid transformations to drive profit. Criminals take advantage of weak waste management systems and inadequate regulations to conduct criminal activity ranging from the misdeclaration and concealment of hazardous and mixed waste, money laundering, financial crime, and corruption.

Formerly the world’s largest importer of plastic waste, China closed its doors on imports in 2017, creating a gap in the market. As a result, countries exporting plastic waste shifted their exports towards Southeast Asia, a region with weaker regulatory frameworks when it comes to plastic waste.

Criminal groups today exploit the unregulated trade of plastic waste by carrying out other forms of crime. Furthermore, waste recycling companies have also been found guilty of involvement in human trafficking and modern slavery operations where people had been trafficked to work in recycling plants, farms, and factories. Investigations revealed that bank accounts were opened in the names of the victims to steal their wages.

INTERPOL’s role in combatting illegal plastic waste trafficking ?

Collaboration is at the core of INTERPOL’s success. Through our 195-member strong network, we share information and conduct joint operations to combat and avoid various forms of organized crime, including crimes linked to plastic trafficking.

Law enforcement officers must work together to close the loopholes that enable the illegal movement of plastic waste across borders and international waters. INTERPOL’s 19 databases , with more than 125 million records, provide an opportunity for all our member countries to share actionable data and build policing capacities to help close the gaps exploited by criminals.

Additionally, lawmakers across the world must set and apply internationally recognized laws and regulations around the transportation of plastic waste and hazardous material to ensure that vulnerable communities are protected.

By targeting the networks behind plastic waste trafficking, law enforcement can disrupt the operations of criminal enterprises, deter potential offenders, and reduce the flow of plastic waste into our ecosystem.

Combating plastic waste trafficking together

With some countries closing their borders to plastic waste imports, plastic waste trafficking is on the rise. This leaves destination countries with a lack proper plastic regulation at the mercy of organized criminal groups seeking to exploit the lack of rules around plastic waste trafficking to conduct other forms of criminal activities.

To combat the rise of plastic waste trafficking, we must coordinate our efforts, pool our resources, and share valuable information on organized criminal groups, trafficking routes, and illegal activity with relevant entities.

INTERPOL plays a key role in combating environmental crimes and related crimes. We are committed to combating the illegal transportation of plastic waste.