Malaysia will send back some 3,300 tons of non-recyclable plastic waste to countries such as the US, UK, Canada and Australia in a move to avoid becoming a dumping ground for rich nations, Environment Minister Yeo Bee Yin said. Yeo said Malaysia and many developing countries have become new targets after China banned the import of plastic waste last year.
Last month, the Philippines said it would ship back dozens of containers of garbage which Filipino officials said were illegally shipped to the country from Canada in 2013 to 2014.
Yeo said 60 containers stacked with contaminated waste were smuggled in, en route to illegal processing facilities in Malaysia, and would be sent back to their countries of origin.