Some reflections on the international waste trade and emerging nations

Recent years have seen the emergence of a new industry dealing in the international disposal of garbage and various forms of waste. Emerging nations have become disposal sites for materials emanating from the developed world. Attempts to explain the rationale behind the international waste trade. Discusses the acceptance of garbage and waste by poorer nations as a public policy issue. Attempts to balance the economic logic of the acceptance decision with various ethical considerations. Concludes that waste should never be accepted but rather that the advisability of such a practice is destination‐specific and must be assessed on a case by case basis.