Asian authorities have reportedly rejected around 100 containers suspected of carrying toxic materials and will return them to their European senders for further processing, a decision that came after environmental NGOs raised concerns and the containers were being passed around like a “mess” between parties.
The container is believed to be carrying 800 tonnes of toxic steel furnace ash collected from anti-pollution filters. The ash, made from recycled steel, contains toxic metal oxides and needs to be treated. NGO Basel Action Network claims the material was not permitted for export and that recipient Thailand was not notified under the UN Basel Convention, which requires shipments to be approved and destination countries notified. The group called for the cargo to be returned to the ship.
According to tracking data compiled by Bloomberg, the boxes were loaded onto the Contship Vou in Albania in mid-July and taken to Trieste, Italy, where they were transferred to two ships chartered by Maersk, the Maersk Campton and the Maersk Candor, for transport to Singapore, where they were to be transferred back to an MSC ship for transport to Thailand.
Maersk told Maritime Executive last week that it had notified authorities about concerns raised about the cargo and would cooperate with them as necessary. A spokesman said the boxes were being transported on behalf of another shipping line.
“None of these containers were declared to contain hazardous waste,” Mahrsuk reported. “Had they been declared to contain hazardous waste, Mahrsuk would have rejected the shipment.”
The Bangkok Post reported today that the Port Authority of Thailand said it would not accept the waste shipment. Thai authorities have warned Singaporeans about the shipment and said they will not accept the electric furnace dust. Singaporeans declined to comment, saying they are still considering the matter.
The Maersk Campton has left the Mediterranean port of Tangier and is currently approaching Asia. Its AIS signal is in the Straits of Malacca and it is expected to arrive in Singapore as early as tomorrow. A second vessel, the Maersk Candor, is due to arrive in Singapore at the end of next week. The first vessel is thought to be carrying around 40 boxes of waste, the second another 60.
A Maersk spokesman for Asia told Bloomberg that the company has handed over the boxes and is working with Singapore authorities and other shipping companies. Maersk reports that the boxes will be repatriated to Albania “in the best possible way.”
Tracking data from MSC Mediterranean shipping company showed the boxes were on their way to Europe, Bloomberg reported.
Basel Action Network, which first raised the concerns, stressed that this is not an isolated incident: Greenpeace protested in 2018 to block other toxic materials being shipped to China via Hong Kong. Basel Action Network also reported that in April China rejected a cargo found to contain more than 8% toxic lead.
The European Union has tightened regulations on the transport of toxic waste. Under new rules due to come into force in 2027, exports of EU waste to non-OECD countries will require those countries to notify the European Commission that they are willing to import the waste and can demonstrate their ability to manage it sustainably.
