After Being Dubbed 'The World’s Rubbish Bin', Plastic Waste Is Now Being Smuggled Into M'sia

The environmental organisation also happened to discover that 19 countries across the globe have been exporting their plastic trash to our soil.

Many Malaysians and environmentalists were upset over the news and called for a crackdown on this serious illegal plastic business.

Although the people and the government are aware of this issue, it seems that the perpetrators are still finding ways to dump their plastic waste in our country.

And things are much more serious than it looks.

According to Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin, plastic waste is being smuggled into Malaysia through shipping containers which have been falsely declared as another type of import that do not require a permit.

Based on a two-week investigation by the government, it was found that the waste is imported by developed countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, United States, and Germany.

"We have found that there are containers which have contaminated plastics but it is being declared that they are not (HS Code) 3915 plastics,” Yeo told The Star.

“If we don't investigate, such plastic waste can enter the country and these cannot be recycled well.”

A warning has been issued to the forwarding companies, and the government has warned that they will revoke their licenses if their clients make false declarations.

Yeo also stressed that the ministry will be going "full-force" in hunting down those responsible for illegal plastic waste imports next month.

“Malaysia will not be the dumping ground of the world. We will send back (the waste) to the original countries,” she added.

The government will not be bearing the cost of the return shipping and the waste will be sent back under the Basel Convention, Yeo added.