Sixty shipping containers filled with contaminated waste had been smuggled into illegal processing facilities in the country, said environment minister Yeo Bee Yin.
She showed reporters the waste at Port Klang, outside the capital Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysia’s environment minister Yeo Bee Yin with some of the waste from Australia
It included cables from the UK, CDs from Bangladesh, contaminated milk cartons from Australia and electronic and household waste from North America, Japan, Saudi Arabia and China.
Ten containers will be sent back within two weeks, said the environment minister as the country takes action to avoid becoming a dumping ground for rich countries.
Sky News reported last year how two-thirds of the UK’s plastic recycling is transported to sites across the world, often in the developing world.
It is often more lucrative to export the plastic than process it domestically because land and labour are cheaper abroad.
But the reality is that once it leaves our shores no one really checks whether it is recycled and the National Audit Office has said it could in fact end up in landfill.
The UK used to send much of its plastic to China for processing, where it was used to make items such as computers, toys and appliances,
The containers of plastic waste will be sent back to where they came from
However, China banned imports of the world’s plastics in January 2018, meaning other countries have taken on a heavier load.
There are concerns the system of exporting waste could be inflating the UK’s recycling rates and failing to channel investment into recycling facilities here.
:: Sky’s Ocean Rescue campaign encourages people to reduce their single-use plastics. You can find out more about the campaign and how to get involved at www.skyoceanrescue.com
