According to Fiona Qian, the firm's deputy manager, the high cost of doing this means some refineries are still dumping toxic waste in landfills.

German law forbids the dumping of hazardous waste on German soil.

The gag in question was granted last month at the request of Trafigura, an oil firm, to prevent publication of the details of a report related to the dumping of toxic waste in Côte d’Ivoire.