KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia should take its commitment to fighting plastic pollution further by enforcing a total ban on dumping of solid plastic waste and scrap in the country, according to the Asean Chamber of Commerce.
In a statement today, it said that as illegal dumping was now a major problem in Malaysia, it raised significant concerns regarding public health and safety, property values and quality of life.
It called for an effective illegal dumping prevention programme founded on leadership and support by local officials as well as cooperation among authorities, communities and industry.
“An integrated approach must be enforced to address the factors contributing to the problem,“ the statement said.
A foreign news agency reported that following China’s ban on accepting the world’s used plastic, it was being redirected in huge quantities to Southeast Asia where Chinese recyclers have shifted en masse.
But Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin was quoted as saying that the government intended to cut off illegal plastic imports at the points of entry.
The Chamber noted that Asean countries had previously allowed local regional governments in special economic zones to make a buck from foreign waste.
“However, overwhelmed with its own unrecycled garbage, Malaysia has to switch gears, focusing its effort on closing the gap between domestic waste and its recycling capacity,“ it said. — Bernama
