Plastic recycling in Belgium: how are we doing?

ANTWERP/ROTTERDAM - Heavily contaminated plastic waste from the Netherlands and the rest of Europe can be illegally exported via the port of Antwerp, unnoticed by inspectors, to countries where it ends up being dumped. Antwerp is an important hub for the international trade in plastic waste. But compared to the port of Rotterdam for example, it has too few inspectors and resources, which opens the door to criminal trade in plastic.

BERLIN / BRUSSELS - On almost every drinking bottle or plastic wrapper you can find a Green Dot sign: a circle with two swirling green arrows inside. The logo represents the system of waste separation in yellow bins and blue bags, run by 'Green Dot' organisations. These organisations ensure the recycling of all our used packaging.

BRUSSELS - For the first time in history, the world is consuming more bottled water than soft drinks. Although access to safe water is both a fundamental human need and a basic human right recognised by the United Nations, the continuous growth in bottled water consumption is not just a response to basic human need.