China, Cambodia Seize Illegal E-Waste Shipments

Danielle Jackson

Beijing — Chinese customs officials this month seized a 446-ton shipment of electronic waste, or e-waste, that was shipped illegally from the United States. In May, the country launched a crackdown on e-waste imports after environmentalists, through a documentary entitled "Exporting Harm: The High-Tech Trashing of Asia," called attention to health problems associated with handling harmful toxic chemicals in computers and televisions in the town of Guiyu.

Chinese officials would not identify which U.S. companies were involved or from which U.S. port the shipment originated. The case currently is under investigation.

Also, in Cambodia, three men were arrested this week for illegally shipping plastic bags and other garbage into the country. Police discovered more than 64 tons of plastic waste stashed in five shipping containers during a raid on a Phnom Penh dock on Tuesday. It was not clear whether the shipment, which came from China, had originated there. Authorities will conduct tests to determine the waste's origin.