Bangladesh: Where our ships go to die and pollute

Shipbreaking yards in South Asia routinely put their workers’ lives and the environment at risk when they dismantle vessels for recycling. So why do so many foreign companies continue to send their old ships there illegally?
#PlanetA #Shipbreaking #HumanRights
We're destroying our environment at an alarming rate. But it doesn't need to be this way. Our new channel Planet A explores the shift towards an eco-friendly world - and challenges our ideas about what dealing with climate change means. We look at the big and the small: What we can do and how the system needs to change. Every Friday we'll take a truly global look at how to get us out of this mess.
Follow Planet A on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@dw_planeta?la...
Credits:
Reporter: Beatrice Christofaro
Video editor: David Jacobi
Superivising Editors: Kiyo Dörrer & Joanna Gottschalk
Fact check: Jeannette Cwienk
Thumbnail: Em Chabridon
Special thanks to Sifayet Ullah, DW's Zobaer Ahmed and the DW Asia team. Watch the full documentary on shipbreaking in Bangladesh here: watch/?v=291...
Read more:
Trading Lives for Profit, HRW: www.hrw.org/report/2023/09/28...
Impact Report, NGO Shipbreaking Platform: shipbreakingplatform.org/wp-c...
Shipping, toxics and human rights, UN Special Rapporteur Marcos Orellana: www.ohchr.org/en/documents/th...
Governance at the International Maritime Organisation, Transparency International: www.transparency.org/en/publi...
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:53 Why ships are so toxic
03:05 Why they end up in Bangladesh
04:35 How companies skirt laws
07:10 The role of the IMO
08:55 The Hong Kong Convention
09:46 The role of Bangladeshi authorities
11:37 Solutions
13:21 Conclusion

[@DWPlanetA]

What do you think is the best way to stop these foreign companies from sending their vessels to these shipbreaking yards?

[@owo4470]

intense scrutiny and enforcement of the law

[@driftlesshermit9731]

Being that the majority of the people of Bangladesh live in poverty, if you stopped ships from getting scrapped there, the poverty would only get worse. Maybe the ship owners should help build and pay for infrastructure to safely scrap the ships in Bangladesh.

[@DanielSilva-jj2lz]

No law that Europe makes will work, the only thing that will happen is that companies will build ships outside of Europe using an intermediary of another nationality, and will use these ships wherever they wish. Only an idiot will choose the most expensive way to solve problems.

[@magesalmanac6424]

They have no incentive to do that, nobody to make them responsible.

[@ericliu5491]

Developed countries need to establish their own ship breaking industries that utilize the latest technologies to make the process quicker, cheaper and more sustainable.

[@SaloestAeslinaydu]

If you were in Bangladesh you would understand that an issue with vessels is the least what people there are care about. Bangladesh is like a huge scrapyard with poor population, I don’t want to insult people who live there, but this business of breaking ships is one of the few which ordinary resident can earn and support his family.

[@SisterSunny]

a fascinating, grossly underreported issue! Thank you for you great journalism as always

[@DWPlanetA]

Hey there! Thank you, we are glad you liked the video. Subscribe to our channel to not miss any new video! ✨

[@Lov_chayeong]

Love the video, everything is well explained❤

[@DWPlanetA]

Thank you for your kind feedback! Be sure to subscribe to our channel for more videos like this one ✨

[@EuroFighter1200]

every ship that want to trade and swim on EU sea should, like in the video suggestet should pay a fee like 10-20% of the ships worth and only get its back after the ship is sustainable dismantelt if not there ships are not longer allowed to do trade in the eu and use eu harbours. The important thing is the if they tried to do tricks and so on the whole ships from them cannot trade in eu annymore.

[@DanielSilva-jj2lz]

The only thing that will happen is that costs towards Europe will rise.

[@szurketaltos2693]

@Daniel of course costs will rise, because rich corporations will just pass the cost to consumers. But that's better than poisoning these people and the ocean in order for you to buy cheap junk for a thousandth of a euro cent less.

[@magesalmanac6424]

Yup, the west is addicted to cheap products, and we never pay the true cost of these products.

[@cliors200]

Is the money that they get back accounted for inflation or no?

[@tijljappens7953]

​@cliors200 Good question. The authors of the video compare it to pet bottles but pet bottles don't last decades as ships do.

[@DM_Laf]

It's all about money. People that rule the world, make laws that suit them

[@markarca6360]

"Rules for thee, not for me"

[@ransofaraway]

This why sanctions do not work, because of thy middleman countries. Same they do with those ships to avoid laws and regulations 😢

[@TheGrindcorps]

Unilateral sanctions like those against Russia are also illegal. For sanctions to be legal they must be through United Nations security council. It’s a good thing for these middle men in that case, to help avoid illegal sanctions.

[@LordPanda-wz9oq]

@@TheGrindcorpsbut Russia is on that council. They can just be block anything that is put in motion

[@TheGrindcorps]

@@LordPanda-wz9oq so can America. Doesn’t change that they are illegal sanctions.

[@realkilju]

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Every single big corporation uses similiar ways to avoid taxes and enviromental standards.

[@talhatai6846]

Reason rich countries do not have garbage and their beaches are clean.

[@DWPlanetA]

Hey there! We tackled the responsibility of rich countries in terms of climate reparations to poorer countries in this video 👉kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXiyp4WkasSEiMk Check it out and let us know what you think!

[@Ninerwhiskey]

Excellent video! I am glad to have discovered about this. Learnt something new today and props to DW Planet A!

[@DWPlanetA]

Thanks for your kind feedback. Make sure to subscribe to our channel so you won't miss any of the upcoming videos! ✨

[@gamertimes5194]

Bangladesh can leverage upon this ship breaking yards by building proper infrastructure and ship breaking docks and implementation of proper board for regulating the traffic and disposal of waste

[@cleokim7144]

Incredibly informative and an engaging watch, thank you! I love how there are very clear actions that can be taken

[@DWPlanetA]

Hey dear Cleo! Glad you like our video 😊 We post videos like these every week. Subscribe to not miss any ✨

[@boowiebear]

Toxic colonialism! 😂 Bangladesh gets 50% of their steel from these ships. They want the ships. They are free to enforce stricter controls and protect their workers and shores.

[@TheSheiban]

I like the idea of a fund, perhaps returned with interest if the rules are followed and increase the incentives with other factors such as the ship's length of life among other things...

[@rounaqul2020]

You have a really pretty voice, ❤ love and respect for you from Bangladesh 🇧🇩

[@veggieboyultimate]

I feel so bad for the people of Bangladesh.

[@hyperman5752]

We are okay

[@mattiarenzi5673]

As a non-German that always found the Pfund idea interesting, i feel like this is exactly where it should lead.

[@willbach]

Amazing coverage

[@DWPlanetA]

Hey there! Glad you like our video. 😊 We post new ones every Friday. Subscribe to our channel to not miss any! ✨

[@bernob9770]

This is crazy!

[@joshregitz]

Super interesting! Never heard of it.

[@DWPlanetA]

Hey Josh! Glad you liked our video. We post videos like these every week. Subscribe to our channel to be notified ✨

[@backpropagation8365]

All ship breaking yards in India follow safety rules. Ship breakers wear safety gear and use machines to disassemble ships. Some ship breaking yards in India’s are even “green” certified.

[@PoojaDoval]

These is misinformation in the video. The ship breaking industry is safe in India and workers are not exposed to any unsafe environment. About 99% of the total materials recovered from the ships are recycled. Of the total recoverable material over 95% is steel, about 1-2% of total LDT (light displacement tonnage) is the other valuable metals and 0.5-8% is furniture and other fixtures. The steel is sold to the re-rolling mills, which is the main source of revenue. Better make a video on how the other countries could follow the India's way of safe recycling of ships.

[@backpropagation8365]

@@PoojaDoval DW and BBC are media that do a lot of misinformation intentionally or because they are too lazy to research. Most likely laziness, as one quick 5-minute look at facilities in Alang would have shown them how to do safe recycling.

[@peterwaugh9416]

You have to add an end-of-life fee to the purchase price of a ship. Ship construction is $100 million so add $10 million, and the money is invested by the World Bank (or similar). At the end of the working life of the ship, the World Bank pays an approved dismantler to safely dismantle & dispose of toxic waste. Any profit from recycling goes back into the pool towards the next ship. While the money invested accrues interest so if the costs of dismantling go up that's covered.

[@justaguyfromreddit]

great video

[@DWPlanetA]

Thank you 🙃 Be sure to check out our other videos. We've got a lot more reports like this one.

[@dipendragahamagar2386]

Informative video as always

[@devashisdas5024]

Researcher Julia Bleckner correctly pronounced the name of Bangladesh as BAAngladesh, that's great! Kudos to her!

[@dennis2376]

Thank you.

[@DWPlanetA]

Hey Dennis! Thanks, we post more videos like these every Friday. Be sure to subscribe to be notified ✨

[@mhiebendaal3836]

What is Happening is Outrageous! 🇨🇦🇨🇦

[@user-uv6yz9gn1e]

What are gigantic the ball-shaped things shown floating along with the ships being dismantled?

[@SimpleTon294]

Google LNG carrier

[@sidharthcs2110]

Thanks for transporting gases like LNG , CNG ...

[@jfh667]

Laws and regulations are meant to change to cost dynamic. But since we live in a capitalist hellscape, all our governments have been bough by corporations, and there are no laws.

[@in_tasin]

I mean, capitalism is a system focused on maximizing profits, sometimes at the expense of overriding laws, regulations, and humanity. Therefore, we cannot anticipate better outcomes or positive changes within the system unless we consider transitioning to a new, more dynamically functioning system.

[@jfh667]

@@in_tasin Yeah, like between the 50s and the 70s. It is possible to tear and arm off from Ford as a punishment for killing people with the Pinto. Instead of giving GM less then a day of profit in fine for killing people over 10 years in the early 2000s.

[@robertvillalobos710]

There needs to be some kind of world wide recycling system where we all share the load and come up with more ways to repurpuse things and better ways toexpose of toxic and harmful chemicals. As well has batterys and so on. I feels were getting close to wall E. No close but no real mass solutions out there. We (as in humans) barely go the ocean clean up going. We need more things like that for many aspects of material handeling and disposing.

[@DWPlanetA]

Hey Robert! Yes, a global recycling system would be amazing! India is working on becoming a global repair-hub for e-waste. We are publishing a video on this next week. Subscribe to our channel to be notified about new videos ✨

[@SethMethCS]

What about mass refurbishment, reconditioning, and restoring? Imagine if things like appliances and furniture could be dismantled, flat packed for cost efficient storage and shipping, and refaced for a new buyer.

[@fredred8371]

You make it sound like the people working in the ship breaking yards are the victims, they are the one directly responsible!

[@sojibhossian391]

Love my country 🇧🇩❤️

[@savneetsinghrairai6823]

It make lot of impact on sea life .....they don't recycle ....or dispose hazardous materials like pcb / lead acid battery/ engine oils etc pollute ground n sea water of nearby places ...in few years it could get in world seas

[@adityapratapsingh5402]

There are more then 100,000 people who are depending on ship breaking in bangladesh, this industry is providing food and shelter to them and there family. Closing this industry will show a dark effect on there life.

[@DWPlanetA]

Ideally people will keep their jobs and ships would be recycled safely. 🙌

[@Abgyus76]

tidak ada permintaan dari negara yang sanggup pecahkan kapal lama.. Tidak akan ada syarikat yang menghantar kapal milik mereka ke negara tersebut.. Matlamat utama perniagaan pecah kapal adalah keuntungan.. Tidak salah jika ada negara yang sanggup dalam perniagaan ini dan pihak syarikat yang dilantik perlu sediakan segala peralatan dan menyediakan tempat mencegah Pencemaran laut.. Negara eu menuduh negara miskin penyumbang utama pencemaran alam sekitar dan laut. Kenapa mereka sendiri tidak membongkar kapal milik syarikat negara mereka...

[@raphlvlogs271]

do modern ships last much shorter than historical 1s?

[@tindrums]

It does not matter. If the owner feels ship operation is more expensive then he will sell, no matter the age.

[@SethMethCS]

@@tindrumslike the time when Carnival Cruise Lines sold for scrap multiple ships that had over 10 years of service life left just because there were no other buyers.

[@in_tasin]

Let's acknowledge that our administration has many responsibilities. However, the major issue lies with states (EU) or LLCs. Additionally, we should consider the people in Chattogram, Bangladesh, who depend on the billion-dollar industry to sustain themselves. Disrupting the industry to kick their stomach is not the right thing to do.

[@tHebUm18]

Proper recycling of ships in Bangladesh would still be much, much cheaper than the EU. Seems incumbent upon their political leaders and owners of the current illegal dismantling operations to make them above board or suffer the consequences of losing the industry entirely. Disrupting the industry is 100% the correct thing to do to not export environmental and health destruction to poor countries because it's out of sight, out of mind.

[@stevensmith4099]

I have a feeling not very much of the profits actually go to the workers.

[@in_tasin]

@@tHebUm18 Certainly, environmental waste should not be placed in underdeveloped countries, it can be fatal. Only then, if this industry is destroyed, thousands of people will die of starvation, will it not be more destructive?

[@in_tasin]

@@stevensmith4099 Certainly, there are numerous issues in this industry. For instance, owners often refrain from paying workers the rightful salary. Additionally, the video in question highlights environmental damage. In my opinion, the Bangladesh administration should promptly implement a new system, modernize the industry, and prioritize environmental considerations. This way, people can rely on the industry, their lifestyles can improve, and the environment can pave the way for a better quality of life.

[@FMFvideos]

Old ships are turned into shitty Battlefield 2042 maps.

[@markarca6360]

I can hear Mesothelioma singing (because these ships has Asbestos insulation).

[@mehedipc5349]

I know a guy, who knows a guy doing ship breaking business in Bangladesh. They don't anyone to know about it

[@joseph-mariopelerin7028]

but it's green here right!? same goes for ev

[@0312032]

Beaching method itself is not responsible for polluting the sea and soil, most of the time it is explained wrongly. It is possible to dismantle a vessel safely and without having any activity in the intertidal zone even after applying the beaching method. If the landing method used in Turkey is acceptable to EU then why not the beaching method? Technically there is no significant difference between these two methods. It only depends how you treat/ follow the methodology for recycling after the beaching/ landing of the vessel.

[@MsMadcap]

Why not start charging the ship buyers in advance...right from its maiden voyage for d safe disposal when d time comes.. may be not in full but in part everytime d ship starts a voyage based on d degradation n depreciation it has suffered per voyage.. if they sell d ship.. d hitherto cost passes on to d new buyer, where d previous one has contributed his share. So at end of life ..d charges are paid and so nobody cuts corners in proper disposal when d time comes.

[@ChadWilson]

Are all these ships really useless? Or could they be revitalized into some other purpose?

[@DWPlanetA]

Hey Chad! In ship breaking, a lot of the material is resold and reused. Alternatives are upgrading old ships to be used again or repurposing, e.g as a hotel / in museums etc.

[@_GMP_]

Same poisonous water travels to Europe Oceans and American Oceans in long run

[@dakshitchhadwa2454]

Highly insightful, Maybe the elections of 2024 could be used to pressurize the Indian government to change the way we recycle ships.

[@tindrums]

Bogus arguments. What they want is the shipbreaking yards to remain in EU or generate more profits for EU to regulate foreign shipyards.

[@--Dani]

They don’t want to pay enough to scrap them, it is what it is

[@user-yh7kz9lo5s]

If you are a regular travellers in asia? 100% you and your families and friends had been in one of those hotel that still having Asbestos around.

[@kol257]

Using the same intro music as CNBC (0:56)

[@kapal143]

I think it's the outro. I was about to change video.

[@peterrigs7673]

It's all OK! Pollution is a good thing for the earth and humans.

[@shafiqulislam8250]

danke dW

[@DWPlanetA]

Hey there! Glad you like our video. We post videos like this one every Friday, subscribe to our channel to not miss any ✨

[@nomantalukder9143]

Common people of Bangladesh is not concerned by this 😢

[@arafat464]

The metal recycled from ships in Bangladesh is desperately needed to help build and develop Bangladesh. Metal isn't free, and the EU is definitely not going to assist with development.

[@joselnegrongonzalez3344]

Uno de los lugares más puercos del mundo

[@imtiyazhossain3053]

In the 19th century, when Europe and America used to do such things, there were not so many laws. Now when they have developed, it is now happening when advanced underdeveloped countries like Bangladesh are doing such things. It is becoming an environmental problem. I am not against this legislation, but when Someone makes a rule because it leaves many opportunities for theft, that is the core of every law. We don't say it openly, but we all who have studied law know it. And this is the real truth. The biggest example of this is, now we talk about human rights. While Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, Europe and America have two types of human rights violence, one is a kind of human rights with white skin, and the other is those who do not have white skin, another kind of human rights for them. That's why I will say whatever you say, at the end of the day, those businessmen who understand capitalism always create all kinds of systems for them to evade such laws. Ordinary media and ordinary people like you can't do anything about them. There is no use, first of all, you have to be good to yourself, and then you have to show your hand on the other side.

[@balint7185]

Damn bangladeth

[@rainmaker8677]

No difference to company knowing child labour are being used.

[@maleahlock]

Laws are written by and for the wealthy. Maybe we can figure out a modern form of the guilliotine that doesn't involve violence.

[@SuperMika70]

😱

[@Txrrxr626]

“Our ships” Uhh no not really it’s not OUR ships it’s THEIR 🇮🇱 ships 🕎

[@mr2spyderchronicles287]

And then we need to buy electric card to save the planet while these countries polute uncontrolably and burn coal.

[@fatafaelasuf7914]

2024

[@mhiebendaal3836]

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY. INVESTORS, INVESTORS, INVESTORS.😡😡

[@baileypatterson6521]

control the permits for ship building or buy/selling...if a company is found to be a part of this scheme, they have their new ship permits and the permit to buy ships on hold for 1 year, if another ship is found in this scheme, their permit is held again but for 5 years this time. add to this with the financial deposit incentives, once you clarify a punishment and a reward for doing right, you solve the issue. then if a company doesnt want to lose the ability to buy or build a new ship, they will be the regulator themselves on who they sell their old vessels to.

[@tindrums]

Just a form of protectionism by fortress EU

[@tindrums]

Only EU has the god given right to preach. Other countries are children of lesser gods.

[@imtiyazhossain3053]

Sure, your words make sense, but here's my question: Have we really escaped from colonialism, or are we still trapped in its clutches? Do you think it's because the United States and their European Union allies haven't yet controlled the market and manipulated the financial system enough to dominate a significant portion of the world's population? But do you really believe that we are beyond colonialism, perhaps not in the same way, but still stuck within the confines of a system that keeps us ensnared?🙄🙄 So, for your sake, let me give you a heads-up from my side. Step out of spreading this kind of twisted news that confuses people. Of course, I'll also mention that every country has its own selfish foreign policy, determining who they work with and showing less interest in collaborating with others. It's their exclusive affair. Here, if you dare to offer advice or suggest cultural assimilation or share New Age advice with anyone else, it functions like a virus. So, let me tell you, firstly, clean up the mess you have in your own backyard, and then come to offer advice to others.

[@SohamGreens]

Bangladesh is also moving towards extremism Special privileges are given for readymade garment export to eu and us This money is now going in bad hands and they will work for anti eu and us

[@shubhamgoel6815]

why dont they force laws on the companies who is selling ships to these countries, instead of blaming these poor people . ofcourse this channel promotes western propaganda .

[@Universal69man]

Ship breaking industry is huge in Bangladesh Bangladesh should implement international laws Should stop under 18 labour Need environmental safety and sustainability Need more technologies Dangerous chemicals should dump safely

[@ross335]

What about the people whose livelihoods depend on these ship-breaking jobs in Bangladesh? You talk about their health and safety but nothing else. How will they put food on the table and pay to send their children to school when all the ship breaking work has been sent back to Europe? Not to mention the secondary economy of recycling and reusing the steel. This video is an endless parade of privileged, well educated people talking about taking away these peoples jobs like they're doing them a personal favour. Yes, I get that it's bad for the environment and should probably end but if there isn't a plan in place to transition these workers into new / different industries it's going to ruin thousands of peoples lives. Where is the recognition of that fact in this video? Nowhere.

[@s_dharni2483]

Tell their government to make them infrastructure of somekind to dismantle ships and pressure the owners of dismantling business.

[@DWPlanetA]

Hey Ross! You are right, this is a big issue. However, currently the work is not sustainable as a lot of people die, get sick or the people around can become sick. Until Bangladesh enforces the rules, it might be better to do the ship breaking in other places.

[@smallcube-zn2mm]

@@s_dharni2483 Government doesn't care about people.

[@ciklop4206]

Maybe they should keep up with the standards of a modern society? Why should we let some religous tramps ruin the earth and lower standards?

[@parthachakrabarti2157]

Hipocracy of western county 😄

[@kidmohair8151]

the best way to stop this? overthrow the socio-economic system that prioritizes profit above everything else. where $$ are concerned, humans are just an expen$e.

[@DWPlanetA]

Hey there! Thanks for your comment. We actually tackled the idea of a system in which profit works differently and the price of nature is included. You can find it here 👉kzbin.info/www/bejne/g4TbenWPhLKEhbc

[@smallcube-zn2mm]

why $$ won't be concern? Bangladeshi people don't wanna stay poor and represent as poor country in documentaries. So they'll earn money no matter how many risks are there.

[@kidmohair8151]

@@smallcube-zn2mm ...and the fast fashion industry relies on that poverty, rather than paying a living wage.

[@mrtpofx]

avenger tony stark fought here with that flying robote evil.

[@dougtheviking6503]

Well, as long as Europe and the US push climate policies. We can just overlook this .

[@ab-td7gq]

Maybe you can make a video why changing toward a plant based diet is the best thing we can do as individuals for the environment.

[@DWPlanetA]

We have a couple of videos on that topic. Here are a few links if you want to check them out 🙃 📺 Can we produce beef that doesn't ruin the planet? 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5vTeKZ9Zsx0qdEfeature=shared 📺 Killing an animal: What it actually means to eat meat 👉kzbin.info/www/bejne/joXQo6qCd51jkNUfeature=shared 📺 Is vegan meat the "better" meat? 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/bIXZf52Fp6hsoq8feature=shared

[@reginafefifofina]

0:12 they should drag those ships on to land and hook them up to utilities and make them apartments! Especially if you’re in a coastal area with sea level rise 😂

[@EverywhereBlessed-kn7ko]

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. The Euphrates river is drying up and shaping like the Omega symbol. Jesus said he’s the Alpha and the Omega Revelation 16:12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

[@sunnysheikh1223]

Ask Indian Leaders they would deny any of it is happening.For them everything is Sunshines.🤣

[@ShivjiSaha1]

It is Bangladesh not India. India has passed laws to stop these activities