Malaysia was once called the “world’s rubbish dump” after the discovery of millions of plastic waste being dumped by foreign countries on our land. Well, Malaysia is now taking a stand that it will no longer be the place where the world sends its trash!
Photo: Twitter Yeo Bin Yee
Malaysia has sent back 150 shipping containers of plastic waste to countries including the United States, United Kingdom, France and Canada, after being the target of illegal waste trafficking as a result of China, once the world's largest importer, banning plastic imports from these nations back in 2017.
Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin said the government is firm in combating the illegal movement of plastic wastes into Malaysia by nipping the problem in the bud.
According to Yeo, the inspections made at the ports and from the data collected by the Royal Malaysian Customs Department, most of the containers with the plastic wastes were exported from developed countries, including France, the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Spain and Japan.
"To date, the ministry, through the Department of Environment (DOE) has repatriated 150 containers, with approximately 3,737 metric tonnes of plastic wastes that were illegally brought into Malaysia," Yeo said during a site visit in Butterworth, Penang.
"The repatriation exercise does not have any cost implication to the government. The costs were either borne by the exporters or by the shipping liners. This is an unprecedented move by Malaysia," she added.
Out of the 150 containers, 43 were sent back to France and 42 to the UK, while the US will receive 17 and Canada 11.
Photo: Bernama
"The Malaysian government is serious about combating the import of illegal wastes as we do not want to be the garbage bin of the world," Yeo said.
A further 100 containers currently in Malaysian ports will also be returned to where they came from in the middle of this year.
So take that, world! Malaysia will not be your dumping ground ever again!
By: Siti Farhana Sheikh Yahya
