Sri Lanka Returns Containers Filled With Hazardous Waste Including Dead Bodies Parts to UK

The UK sent over 200 containers illegally to Sri Lanka to dump waste generated from British hospitals, hotels, and mortuaries between 2017 and 2019, but a scandal broke out when hazardous materials – and body parts – were detected.

Sri Lanka has returned the last batch of 45 containers of garbage to the UK from the CICT terminal in the Colombo Port.

Thousands of tonnes of garbage were loaded back onto the "Ever Genius" ship that left port on Monday evening.

“Under the BASEL Convention, it is a direct violation to import waste between two countries. And, as a result, under the initiative of the Central Environmental Authority and the Sri Lanka Customs, action has been taken to re-export the remaining 45 containers containing waste material to the UK,” Hayleys Free Zone, the logistics firm, said in a statement.

The firm, linked to the said importation of 263 containers of waste, claimed that it only acted as the logistics service provider for the party and had no involvement in the nature of the cargo.

The re-exportation of over 3,000 tonnes of waste started in December 2020 after a customs inspection found the waste listed as “used mattresses, carpets, and rugs.” However, in reality, it contained biowaste from hospitals, including body parts from mortuaries.

Many Asian countries routinely import waste from the West to recycle. However, exporters must obtain environmental clearance to send medical or other biohazardous waste under the Basel Convention.

But in this case, Sri Lanka’s Custom Department maintained that all the containers had entered the country without seeking permission from relevant local authorities. As a result, the UK’s Environment Agency agreed in 2020 to recall the dumped garbage.