Antwerp cracks down on illegal waste

“We are getting more and more reports of car dealers using second hand vehicles as ‘packaging’ for materials that are borderline or even downright illegal”, said Antwerp Port Authority CEO, Eddy Bruyninckx.

To combat this, the port is cracking down on shipments of second hand cars. New regulations have been laid down and were approved by the port authority board of directors this week.

The regulations set out strict criteria for items that are shipped with vehicles called ‘accompanying freight’. Prohibited accompanying freight includes old car parts, refrigerators and freezers, old and defective domestic appliances such as TVs, computers and mobile phones and also expired medicines, old car batteries and waste oil.

Vehicles identified with prohibited accompanying freight can now be blocked for entry and the shipper or owner then has ten days in which to make the freight compliant.

The port will be carrying out more spot checks in future, focusing on terminals where the percentage of vehicles blocked for entry is low.