“We Are Not a Dumping Ground,” Declares Malaysia – and Ships Waste Back to Where It Belongs

Since last summer, Malaysia has sent around 3800 tons of illegally imported plastic waste, packed in over 150 containers, back to their countries of origin.

After China prohibited almost all plastic waste imports in 2018, countries were seeking a new place to dump the trash in Southeast Asia, including namely Malaysia. The countries of origin declared the plastic as recyclable, but the waste was unsorted, and sometimes even contaminated.

Environment Minister Yeo Bee Yin had declared that Malaysia did not want to be the “dumping ground to the world”, marking the decision to send back the illegal imports.

Another 110 containers of plastic waste are also due to be sent back to their countries of origin – mainly in America.