Photo: The Malay Mail
Between March 2018 and March 2019, 42 containers containing illegal shipments of plastic waste arrived at Penang Port from the United Kingdom.
According to The Star, the UK has only recently agreed to repatriate the containers, which failed to comply with the necessary import papers. Authorities and shipping agents are working hand in hand to sort things out, said The British High Commission.
Responding to news of the illegal shipment from the UK, their Environment Agency (EA) had a number of meetings with the Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Ministry (Mestecc), the Environment Department, Malaysian Customs, relevant port authorities and other Malaysian agencies in an attempt to fix things.
Photo: The Star
“The British High Commission’s proactive action of working closely with Mestecc in repatriating 42 plastic import containers in Penang Port is highly commendable. This co-operation signifies a recognition that plastic pollution is a global issue that requires commitment from various countries to address the problem. We hope the co-operation and understanding between Malaysia and UK will set an example for other countries with companies exporting contaminated plastic waste to other developing nations, ” Mestecc Minister Yeo Bee Yin said in a statement on Monday.
“The repatriation of these 42 containers reflects our commitment to fighting the illegal plastic waste trade,” said Charles Hay, The British High Commissioner to Malaysia.
According to news reports, our country’s plastic waste imports went up to 456,000 tonnes between January and July 2018, from 316,000 tonnes in 2017 and a mere 168,500 tonnes in 2016.
We sure hope things will start getting better with this first step!
By: Celestine Foo
