Amid the scorching heat at the Albanian port of Durres, 102 containers set sail for Thailand in early July, sparking a high-seas drama that highlighted the perils of the global waste trade.
According to official papers reviewed by AFP, the containers were filled with waste material that was set to be processed and destroyed far from Europe's shores.
But weeks later, the containers are still adrift in the Mediterranean, following a months-long back-and-forth over what exactly was being shipped and whether it was legal.
Enormous amounts of waste are regularly sent to developing countries—part of a global industry that sees Western nations outsourcing its treatment to Asia and Africa.
The practice has long been denounced by environmental organizations.
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