Britain’s plastic waste dumped in Malaysia to be sent back from Penang port

British High Commissioner Charles Hay said the return of 42 containers showed the country’s commitment to ‘fighting the illegal plastic waste trade’

Southeast Asia has been overwhelmed with plastic waste from the developed world after China in 2018 stopped importing recyclable rubbish

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A lot of the plastic scrap coming into the country is contaminated and low-quality plastic from developed countries that is non-recyclable. Photo: Reuters

Published: 6:23pm, 25 Nov 2019Updated: 7:29pm, 25 Nov 2019

Britain has agreed to take back 42 containers of plastic waste illegally exported to Malaysia, officials said Monday, as several Asian nations push back against becoming the world’s rubbish dump.

Southeast Asia has been flooded with plastic from more developed nations such as the US and Australia since last year when China – which boasted a massive recycling industry – ordered a halt to imports.

Many recycling businesses from China moved to Malaysia after the ban took effect, leaving officials struggling to return a large number of shipping containers full of waste brought in from abroad.

After a visit by UK environment officials, Britain agreed to take back containers sent to a major port in northern Penang state since last year without the necessary import papers.

Malaysian Environment Minister Yeo Bee Yin praised the “highly commendable” move by London.

“This cooperation signifies a recognition that plastic pollution is a global issue which requires commitment from various countries to address the problem,” she said in a statement. “We hope the cooperation and understanding between Malaysia and UK will set an example for other countries with companies exporting contaminated plastic waste to other developing nations.”

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