An annual meeting takes place to ensure cooperation and coordination between regional centres under the Basel and Stockholm Conventions". One of the main drivers for doing so was the realisation in the 1970s and 1980s of the extent of the traffic in toxic wastes to Africa and other developing regions12. The Basel Convention is of relevance, as much of the waste trade involves plastics, and some of these contain relatively high levels of additive chemicals which are in Annex I or II of the Convention. These have known toxicological effects, with serious human health implications.