Fiberglass waste consisting of wind turbine blades and aircraft parts was illegally transported from Germany to the Czech village of Jiříkov. This is an example of illegal waste transfer from rich to poor countries across Europe. When the Mayor of Jiříkov, Barbora Šišková, raised the issue, she realized that similar incidents were happening in other regions.
A shipment labeled as plastic waste by the German company ROTH International had been sent to the Czech company Piroplastik. However, investigations revealed that the waste contained fiberglass, which is almost impossible to recycle. Czech authorities seized five truckloads of waste and launched an investigation, and are cooperating with German authorities to return the waste to Germany.
Czech Environment Minister Petr Hladík has called for European action against illegal waste transportation, while Czech MEP Tomáš Kubín emphasized that the problem is not limited to Germany and the Czech Republic, but requires a Europe-wide solution.
Jindřich Petrlík of the environmental organization Arnika warned that heavy metals and flame retardant chemicals in aircraft waste could harm the environment.
Authorities are negotiating the return of the waste.