Activist exposes international scandal after calling attention to seemingly innocent shipments: 'We ... have the right'
Tunisian environmental activist Semia Labidi Gharbi has spent several years exposing a major waste scandal in which wealthy nations were caught dumping hazardous materials in her country, and recently won a global award for her efforts.
As NBC Right Now reported, Gharbi has devoted the past 25 years to environmental advocacy; however, since 2020, most of her time has been spent on a single important task: halting shipments of toxic waste from Italy and other countries.
That year, customs officials discovered more than 280 containers at a local port that supposedly held recyclable plastic scrap, but upon further inspection, they were found to contain banned hazardous waste materials. Gharbi was one of the first to call attention to the attempted scandal.
In late April, she was one of seven activists awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize, also known as the "Green Nobel," for her help in preventing a potential ecological and health disaster. Gharbi's undercover work ultimately led to Italy being forced to return its waste in 2022 and prompted the launch of a campaign to challenge waste trafficking between Italy and Tunisia.
The Goldman committee informed the news outlet that Italy had to reclaim over 6,600 tons of illegal household waste due to Gharbi's grassroots activism.
"It's true, we are developing countries," Gharbi said in an interview with AFP, per NBC. "But we are not a dumping ground."
The scandal had a nationwide impact in Tunisia, leading to the arrest of high-ranking officials. Mustapha Aroui, the former environmental minister, was fired and sentenced to three years in prison. In total, 26 people, including customs officials, were charged with crimes.
Overall, the ordeal spurred positive changes in Gharbi's home country and abroad. The Goldman committee stated that the incident prompted the European Union to strengthen regulations for waste shipments overseas, which will lead to improved health for people and the environment.
Gharbi said she hopes the award will encourage more Tunisian citizens to get involved with activism and raise awareness about the importance of environmental health. She regularly collaborates with environmental groups across Africa, who view the achievement as a win for them as well. The more people speak out against environmental crimes, the greater the chances authorities have of stopping them and protecting our shared planet.
Sadly, poor and developing nations often bear the brunt of the world's plastic use and waste generation. According to an analysis by the International Pollutants Elimination Network, plastic waste exports from wealthy nations in the EU, as well as Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, to low-income countries were significantly underestimated by nearly two million tons annually. And that's just plastic; e-waste, chemical waste, and industrial waste also add to the injustices of "waste colonialism," as some experts have called it.
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However, some efforts are underway to curb this practice. As the Hill reported, an amendment to the Basel Convention — an international treaty designed to regulate the global movement of hazardous waste and its disposal — prevents wealthier nations from sending hard-to-recycle or contaminated plastics to developing countries overseas.
Additionally, the United Nations is moving forward with the global plastics treaty announced in 2022. Once the treaty is finalized, it will have far-reaching impacts on the environment and public health. However, in the meantime, it's crucial to implement more effective waste management strategies so that developing nations don't have to suffer the consequences of inaction.
"What is toxic for developed countries is toxic for us too," Gharbi said. "We also have the right to live in a healthy environment."
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