This contributed volume takes a holistic view of the international waste trade and in doing so argues that the transfer of plastic waste from mainly Global North to primarily Global South countries constitutes a form of 21st Century colonialism.

Part 1: The Theory, Background and the History of the Plastic Waste Trade.- Chapter 1: Plastic Waste Colonialism: A Typology of Global Toxicity.- Chapter 2: What’s in a Name? Is it a Waste or Resource?.- Chapter 3: Major Six-Year Trends in Global Plastic Waste Trade.- Chapter 4: Global and National Instruments to Stop the Export and Dumping of Plastic Wastes.- Part 2: The Illicit Activities in the Plastic Waste Trade and Its Toxic Effects.- Chapter 5: Plastic Waste and Criminality.- Chapter 6: Toxic Contamination Caused By Plastic Waste In Countries of the Global South.- Chapter 7: The Human Rights Impacts of Plastic Waste Exports.- Chapter 8: The Darker Side of Dutch Colonialism: Exporting Plastic Waste Is Plastic Pollution Trafficking.- Part 3: The Receiving Country's Perspectives.- Chapter 9: Plastic Waste Trade In Indonesia and Country’s Response To Waste Trade Challenges.- Chapter 10: Plastic Waste Trade Issues and Environmental Contamination In Romania.- Chapter 11: An Imported Problem? Plastic Waste Effects On Türkiye's Environment With Spe-cific Emphasis On Relevant Multilateral Environmental Agreements.- Chapter 12: The Waste Trade As A Tool of Colonialism In Our Age: A Socio-Legal Analysis For Türkiye.- Chapter 13: Exporting Pollution, Colonizing Health: The True Cost of Plastic Waste Exports To Malaysia.- Chapter 14: On The Plastic Waste Route, Latin America Is The New Port of Destination.- Chapter 15:  A Story Of Waste Colonialism: An Italian-Tunisia Case.

This contributed volume takes a holistic view of the international waste trade and in doing so argues that the transfer of plastic waste from mainly Global North to primarily Global South countries constitutes a form of 21st Century colonialism. The book first describes the history of the plastic waste trade, from toxic disasters in the 1970s and 1980s through the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal in 1989 through China’s 2018 implementation of a “National Sword” policy that effectively banned importation of plastic waste. From there, the authors explore both the legal trade in plastic waste and the underground illegal trade in waste, arguing that both lead to devastating impacts on ecosystems, workers, and communities in receiving countries and highlighting how countries that receive waste are often less equipped to process it than the countries that export waste. The last section of the book presents cases from countries on the receiving end of the plastic waste trade, highlighting inherent problems from sociological and environmental justice perspectives. 

Describes the historical background of the international plastic waste trade Explores regulations on plastic waste trade and how they can be and are circumvented Analyzes the effects of China's 2018 ban on plastic waste imports

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