Recent data unveiled by the Statistical Office of the European Union highlight that Morocco received almost one million tonnes (0.8 million) of European waste in 2022. Significantly, Turkey was the main beneficiary with a colossal 12.4 million tonnes, representing around 39% of total waste exports from Europe.
This revelation comes at a time when the issue of waste in Morocco remains a subject of debate, particularly since the ministerial decision by the Minister of Energy, Mines and the Environment. This decision established a list of non-hazardous waste authorized for import.
According to data from the aforementioned European office, India ranks as the second largest destination for European waste, receiving 3.5 million tonnes of this so-called “European giant” waste during the year in question.
The UK follows with 2.0 million tonnes, closely followed by Switzerland, Norway and Egypt, each receiving 1.6 million tonnes. Next in line is Pakistan with 1.2 million tonnes, followed by Indonesia with 1.1 million tonnes, and finally the USA with 0.8 million tonnes.
Although the data from the European office did not specify the nature of the waste directed to Morocco, unlike the cases of the UK and Turkey (metal waste) or India (paper waste), a debate on waste was initiated within the legislative institution a few months ago, in particular last June.
At that time, the Progress and Socialism Party parliamentary team in the House of Representatives questioned Leila Benali, the Minister for Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, asking for clarification on the reality of “Spanish waste trafficking to Morocco”.
Mustapha El Issat, an expert in climate and sustainable development, expressed the opinion that “the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development should have organized a press conference or issued a press release to explain to the public the usefulness of importing around one million tons of European waste”.
He stressed that “the right to information is now a constitutional right, and those in charge in Morocco, especially in these difficult environmental times, must provide explanations whenever necessary”.
El Issat noted in a statement to Hespress that “the problem today lies in the fact that, in the absence of confirmed official data, we don’t know both the fate and the nature of this waste”, stressing that “some of the waste we import as part of the circular economy is destined for recycling and is used in industry and other sectors”, adding that that Morocco “has iron recycling plants, but we don’t know whether the million tons of waste from Europe is part of this context”.
The activist also urged the relevant authorities to clarify the matter, pointing to the existence of a “national pact for the environment which organizes the waste treatment and incineration process, with strict national standards in this respect. There is also waste for which the authorities have granted import licenses”.
He added that “waste is now a national asset for some countries, particularly Brazil, but the problem lies in the fact that environmental activists refuse to make Morocco a haven for landfill waste, a position we do not share, especially given its harmful effects on the environment, human health and air quality when incinerated”.
The environmental activist pointed out that there are already many African countries that serve as dumping grounds for waste disposal in exchange for substantial financial returns, noting that “official communication is the one that will put an end to these discussions that resurface every time for this reason, all the more so as environmental associations in Europe are powerful and have many skills as well as strong pressure that can monitor political leaders with regard to environmental violations, thanks also to the press and its monitoring”.
It should be pointed out that the import of waste from abroad is governed by a government decision published in the Official Bulletin under number 1339.20, in accordance with the provisions of Ministerial Decree number 2.17.587, which specifies the conditions and procedures for importing waste into the Kingdom and for exporting and transiting it to other countries.
The question is, why we still don’t have those called powerful associations like Europe ? Are we waiting for the government to do the job ?