Article Written By: Jiho Ha
28th of May, Malaysian Environmental Minister 'Yeo Bee Yin' has publicly proclaimed that Malaysia has ordered several thousand tonnes of imported plastic waste to be sent back to the nations it came from.
The country's administration says it has become a dumping ground for affluent countries and that much of the refuse was imported illicitly.
To quote from Yeo Bee Yin "What the citizens of the UK believe they sent for recycling is actually dumped in our country." Then the Malaysian Environmental Minister boldly stated: "If they ship it to Malaysia, we will return it back without mercy".
Malaysia has been in this critical situation for a while without notice. Nonetheless, as the plastic waste imports into Malaysia have tripled in the last two years, Malaysian residents called rights for clean air, water, and food just like any other developing country.
Looking at the pattern of waste imports, rubbish was sent to underprivileged nations with weaker environmental regulation, making waste disposal less safe. As this trend continued, the vicious circle of impoverished countries undergoing worse conditions started to emerge.
Bibliography (MLA 8 FORMAT):
Website Citations:
Website 1:
Zhou, Naaman. “Malaysia to Send up to 100 Tonnes of Plastic Waste Back to Australia.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 29 May 2019, www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/29/malaysia-to-send-up-to-100-tonnes-of-plastic-waste-back-to-australia.
Photo Citations:
Photo 1:
CNBC News. “Malaysia to Send Back Plastic Waste to Foreign Nations.” CNBC, CNBC, 29 May 2019, www.cnbc.com/2019/05/29/malaysia-to-send-back-plastic-waste-to-foreign-nations.html.