The Malaysian Plastics Recyclers Association (MPRA) and the Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA) in recently-issued statements said that vilifying legitimate recyclers with illegal operators could hurt legitimate businesses and undermine the country’s environmental conservation efforts.
The statement came after the World Bank issued a report that Malaysian plastic recyclers rely on imported scrap since the material is often cheaper. It said that imported scrap accounted for 70% of plastic recycled in Malaysia. The report sparked indiscriminate criticism that plastics and recycling were hampering Malaysia’s push to develop a circular economy and resolve issues related to plastics pollution.
In response, MPRA and MPMA said Malaysia’s Department of Environment (DoE) decides whether plastic waste can be shipped into the country to ensure that the plastic waste is clean, homogenous, and properly imported by legitimate recyclers. The groups also said that recyclers pay a levy of MYR20 ($4.8) per ton to help cover the cost of enforcement including container inspections at ports.
