RETURN TO SENDER

Malaysia Sends Back Tons of Plastic Waste Back to the U.S., Saying It’s Not The World’s Trash Can

The country has returned 150 containers of plastic waste—a total of 4,120 U.S. tons—to 13 mainly rich countries.

Malaysia has sent back containers full of plastic trash back to the United States and other western nations, with the country’s environment minister saying they will no longer be the world’s “rubbish dump.” Malaysia returned 150 containers of plastic waste—a total of 4,120 U.S. tons—to 13 mainly rich countries. Forty-three were returned to France, 42 to Britain, 17 to the United States, 11 to Canada, and ten to Spain. Others went to Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Portugal, China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Lithuania, according to the Malaysian environment ministry. “If people want to see us as the rubbish dump of the world, you dream on,” said environment minister Yeo Bee Yin, who added that she was in talks with U.S. authorities to take back another 60 containers this year. “Our position is very firm. We just want to send back (the waste) and we just want to give a message that Malaysia is not the dumping site of the world.”