Malaysia sends back 150 containers of plastic waste, says it will not be a ‘garbage dump’
- Environment Minister Yeo Bee Yin said Malaysia had returned 3,737 metric tonnes to places including France, Britain and the United States
- The region has been flooded with plastic from more developed economies
Malaysia has sent back 150 shipping containers of plastic waste to mostly wealthier nations, with the Southeast Asian country saying Monday it would not be the world’s “garbage dump”.
The region has been flooded with plastic from more developed economies such as the United States and Britain since 2018, after China – which previously boasted a massive recycling industry – ordered a halt to most imports.
Many Chinese recycling businesses moved to Malaysia after the ban took effect, leading to huge quantities of plastic being shipped in without permits and flooding small communities.
Governments across the region are now sending back illegally imported plastic, and Environment Minister Yeo Bee Yin said Malaysia had returned 150 shipping containers carrying 3,737 metric tonnes to places including France, Britain and the United States.
Officials hope to send back another 110 containers in the near future, 60 of which came from the US, Yeo said.
Authorities “will take the necessary steps to ensure that Malaysia does not become the garbage dump of the world”, she added.