THE international environmental organisation Greenpeace says toxic waste is flooding into Asia and taking a devastating toll on people and the environment in the region.
Releasing a new report titled ''The Waste Invasion of Asia'' at a Singapore press conference, the organisation said it revealed ''a toxic crisis confronting most countries in Asia''.
The report said China was becoming ''the major destination for scrap and other waste''.
''China has become a new dumping ground for Western waste with many companies shifting to the mainland after tightening regulations in Taiwan,'' it said.
The report also singled out Hong Kong, which it described as the largest single importer of plastic waste, much of which was shipped to China.
The report said Greenpeace investigations into the plastic waste trade revealed imported plastic waste was ''threatening worker health and the environment in all countries visited''.
The Greenpeace report was released ahead of the organisation's first tour of Southeast Asia. Its vessel, the MV Greenpeace, will visit Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines in the next six weeks to highlight the growing use of Asia as a toxic waste dump for members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
