Myra Hird: Waste and Canada

myra hird: That garbage is now on a ship headed back for Canada, but environment advocates hope the result will be more than just a rebuilding of our relationship with the Philippines, according to National Observer. They want Canada to stop allowing the export of waste and to cut the production and consumption of most plastic packaging. ; Myra Hird, a Queen's University environmental-studies professor who runs a research group looking at the impact of Canada's waste and how waste is managed, said the only way Canada can prevent another embarrassment like the Philippines garbage shipments, is to simply ban the export of waste altogether. The spotlight on the global shipping of garbage grew bright in recent weeks as the diplomatic fight over garbage between Canada and the Philippines gained international attention. I'm not sure what the rationale for transporting our waste around the globe is because it's certainly not good for the environment, said Hird. Hird says even recycling plastics comes with a significant environmental cost, with the distances they are shipped and the pollution produced in melting them down. More than 85 per cent of plastic waste produced in Canada ends up in landfills, and about nine per cent is destined for recycling facilities. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.