When you think about your country’s top exports, do you think of garbage?

In “How the did it get HERE?”, get to know the touching personal story of a Filipino customs official who has dedicated his 30-year career to ensure foreign trash is not illegally smuggled into his country. John Simon went from being an everyday customs collector to capturing the attention of international headlines for stopping the biggest waste shipment - containing 8,000 tons of garbage - from being dumped in the Philippines.

Tune in to hear John Simon’s story of courage and the corrupt business of waste.

Don’t forget to subscribe/follow to People Over Plastic on all major podcast apps and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @peoplexplastic, happy listening!

Resources:

You can find more news about John Simon’s story in the Inquirer, Rappler, ABS CBN News, and GMA news online.

John Simon received the prestigious United Nations Environment Program Award as one of 8 winners on the frontlines of protecting our planet.

To learn more about the inner workings of the waste trade and its impact on import countries, check out: The Plastic Waste Trade Manifesto by Break Free From Plastic, DISCARDED - communities on the frontlines of the global plastic crisis by GAIA, and Plastic for Profit [Tracing illicit plastic waste flows, supply chains, and actors] by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.

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