Malaysia has sent back 150 containers of plastic waste to 13 mostly wealthy countries because the third quarter of last yr, and the environment minister warned on Monday that those that need to make the country the world’s garbage bin can “dream on.”
Since China banned the import of plastic waste in 2018, shipments of unwanted garbage have been redirected to Southeast Asia, but Malaysia and other developing countries have resisted.
Environment Minister Yeo Bee Yin said one other 110 containers were expected to be sent back by the center of this yr.
Yeo said the successful repatriation of a complete of three,737 metric tons (4,120 short tons) of waste followed rigorous enforcement at key Malaysian ports to dam waste smuggling and shut down greater than 200 illegal plastic recycling plants.
Of the 150 containers, 43 were returned to France, 42 to the UK, 17 to the United States, 11 to Canada, 10 to Spain and the remainder to Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Portugal, China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Lithuania, it said. ministry.
She said the Malaysian government had not paid a cent and the associated fee of sending back the waste was entirely borne by the shipowners and corporations accountable for importing and exporting the waste.
Yeo said talks are ongoing with U.S. authorities to receive one other 60 containers this yr. Canada also has 15 more containers, Japan 14, the UK 9 and Belgium 8 of the 110 more containers still in Malaysian ports, she added.
“If people want to see us as the world’s garbage dump, keep dreaming,” Yeo told reporters during an inspection at a port within the northern state of Penang.
Yeo said the federal government will launch an motion plan on illegal plastic imports next month, which is able to help different agencies coordinate enforcement and speed up the waste return process.
“Our position may be very firm. “We just need to send (the waste) back and we just need to send a message that Malaysia shouldn’t be the world’s dumping ground,” she added.
Source : Related press | VoA
