The Baltic States Want to Become Europe’s Dumping Ground. A Report from Neighboring Lithuania 0 12

According to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), a report was received in December of last year about a stopped cargo in Poland weighing 19 tons, which contained cut-in-half cars.

It was established that the cargo was traveling from the United Kingdom to Lithuania without the mandatory waste transport permit required by European Union (EU) regulations.

After inspection by Polish officials, it was determined that the cut vehicles are classified as hazardous waste, and therefore the entire shipment was rightly classified as illegal waste transport.

After evaluating the gathered information, the DEP confirmed that the transport was carried out without prior written consent.

Following consultations with foreign authorities and the transport company regarding the environmentally safe return of the waste, the DEP issued a permit for the return of the cargo in March of this year.

As noted by the department, on April 13, the entire cargo was returned to the country of origin — the United Kingdom.

According to the agency, it was planned to dismantle the cars at a waste recycling facility in Lithuania and sell the parts on international e-commerce platforms.

According to Jurgyta Sadauskaite, the director of the Environmental Quality Department of the DEP, this case demonstrates the importance of effective international cooperation among agencies and proper documentation from the very beginning of transportation to curb illegal waste trafficking.