Karen has been doing research on plastic use and recycling for almost two years. During this time, she investigated the national and international recycling industry, plastic littering and the use of biodegradable plastics for Pointer, the platform for investigative journalism of Dutch public broadcasting company KRO-NCRV.

Basic information

Name
Karen Geurtsen
Expertise
Plastic waste
Country
Netherlands

Supported projects

Illegal plastic waste trade avoids detection in port of Antwerp

  • Cities
  • Environment

ANTWERP/ROTTERDAM - Heavily contaminated plastic waste from the Netherlands and the rest of Europe can be illegally exported via the port of Antwerp, unnoticed by inspectors, to countries where it ends up being dumped. Antwerp is an important hub for the international trade in plastic waste. But compared to the port of Rotterdam for example, it has too few inspectors and resources, which opens the door to criminal trade in plastic.

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