Malaysia is sending back 3,000 tonnes of contaminated plastic waste in 60 containers back to their countries of origin, including Bangladesh, Australia, the United States, Canada, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Japan and China. - NSTP/SADDAM YUSOFF
Malaysia is strongly committed to adhering to the global effort in eradicating single-use plastics in two years.
Energy, Science, Technology, Environment, and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin said Malaysia fully supported the amended Basel Convention (on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal) that would take effect in 2021.
As a first step, she said, Malaysia had put a stop to “dumping” of plastic waste from developed countries to be recycled at a cheaper cost here.
“We want local industry players to realize the importance of doing away with single-use plastics or hydrocarbon materials that are hazardous to the environment.
“We call upon plastics manufacturers to be open to change and adapt to the innovation of new technologies. They have to find alternative solutions, take advantage of government incentives and not stay in their comfort zone.
“They should learn from the innovative use of solar panels which is increasingly acceptable today,” she said at the Circular Economy Conference and Mission organized by the European Union delegation to Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Yeo added that a big slice of the national expenditure of RM280 billion could be channeled to promote “green” technology for the benefit of the people.
She said her ministry had mooted the establishment of a waste park complex as a one-stop center to recycle plastic into renewable “green” energy.
Recently, Yeo announced that Malaysia was sending 3,000 tons of contaminated plastic waste in 60 containers back to their countries of origin, including Bangladesh, Australia, the United States, Canada, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Japan, and China. The ministry had since July last year imposed a freeze on the import of plastics categorized under “HS Code 3915”, which involves plastic waste, scrap, and parings.
