THE Department of Environment (DoE) continues to encounter illegal imports of plastic five years after Malaysia declared it would not become a dumping ground for plastic waste.
In the latest seizure, 38 containers filled with contaminated plastic, resembling solid waste was uncovered at the North Butterworth Container Terminal.
DoE has ordered the shipping agent to send the consignment back to the country of origin.
Penang DoE director Norazizi Adinan cited in a media release that during an inspection conducted yesterday, a notice was issued under Sections 31 and 37 of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 to the importer and agent.
"Penang DoE, together with the Customs Department, National Solid Waste Management Department, SWCorp, Seberang Perai City Council and Penang Port Sdn Bhd, conducted a joint inspection on 39 containers declared as plastic flakes, which were suspected to contain electronic waste and plastic scrap.
"The inspection found that 38 of the containers carried mixed contaminated plastic waste, while one container was found to contain clean plastic flakes and has been handed over to the relevant company for further action."
The integrated exercise by various enforcement agencies, was aimed to ensure that incoming containers comply with the provisions of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 and international legal obligations.
Malaysia's civil societies, especially Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) has been at the forefront of combatting the illegal shipment of plastic waste.
Since China shut down its processing plants from treating plastic waste, agents have found alternative countries to treat or dispose of the waste, which is difficult as it is not easily biodegradable.
Norazizi said the seizure of the 38 containers containing contaminated plastic waste was the largest this year by the Penang DOE, bringing the total number of containers ordered to be returned to 65 out of 70 inspected so far this year.
He noted that in 2023 and 2024, three containers had also been inspected, all of which were ordered to be returned including the importation of electronic waste and contaminated plastics.
In 2020, then Minister of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Yeo Bee Yin vowed that Malaysia would not become a dumping ground for the world’s plastic waste.
“Our position has always been that we would not want illegal smuggling of plastic waste and contaminated plastic waste into the country,” she said in response to the world’s leading environmental protection group Greenpeace’s claim that Italy has been exporting hazardous plastic waste to Malaysia.
The biggest exporters of illegal plastic waste to Malaysia was not Italy in 2020 but the United Kingdom, France, the United States and Japan.
Greenpeace had alleged that in the first nine months of 2019, some 2,880 tonnes of plastic waste was exported to Malaysia and almost half were received by companies operating illegally. - May 16, 2025.
