Malaysia’s environmental minister has announced this week that the country will be returning 42 full containers of plastic waste back to the UK.

In a step to ensure that Malaysia does not become ‘the garbage dump of the world’, a total of 150 containers have been identified as imported illegally and are being returned to worldwide origins.

Countries in South East Asia have seen a dramatic rise in the import of plastic waste since China announced a ban in 2017. Malaysia are not the only country in the region to have returned waste over the past 12 months as both Indonesia and the Philippines have previously done the same.

Uniserve Sea Freight Director – Steve Ireland – who oversees our specialist Commodities Division (incorporating waste products) commented: “The China ban has made it more difficult for waste businesses to find legitimate destinations for their product and sending recyclable waste overseas helps meet domestic recycling targets and reduces domestic landfill.” 

“Some businesses export the product and have to change destination during transit, which causes major logistical headaches. Our team of waste industry experts focus more on working with our customers to get it right before it leaves the UK and we have a few solutions to avoid situations like the one we have just witnessed in Malaysia.”

Reacting to the Malaysian issue, the UK Environment Agency reminded companies that waste exports must be handled according to UK regulations and that anyone found guilty of exporting waste illegally could face a two-year jail term and an unlimited fine.

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