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Malaysia sends back trash, says won’t be world’s waste bin

Posted at 5:32 AM, Jan 20, 2020
and last updated 2020-01-20 05:32:53-05

Malaysia has sent 150 containers of plastic waste back to mainly rich countries since the third quarter last year.

Shipments of unwanted rubbish have been rerouted to Southeast Asia since China banned the import of plastic waste in 2018, but Malaysia and other developing countries are fighting back.

Environment Minister Yeo Been Yin warns that those who want to make the country a rubbish bin of the world can “dream on.”

Yeo said another 110 containers are expected to be sent back by the middle of this year. Of the 150 that had been returned, 43 were returned to France, 42 to the United Kingdom and 17 to the United States.

Talks were ongoing with U.S. authorities to take back another 60 containers this year.