Abstract
Amid challenges and public apathy toward domestic waste management, Malaysia became the world’s top destination for plastic waste exports in 2018, receiving more than 800,000 tons of plastic waste. China’s ban on solid waste imports redirected waste to new markets, especially in Southeast Asia. The influx of waste into Malaysia, a small country in the Malay Archipelago, led to a sharp rise in illegal recycling, dumping, and burning, causing noticeable pollution. This chapter highlights the impact of plastic waste trade on the lives of Malaysians from 2018 to 2021, and the problems that persist until today. This study unpacks the concept of “waste colonialism” and outlines its social, cultural, and political implications. In-depth interviews were conducted with 40 stakeholders across Peninsular Malaysia, namely in the states of Kedah, Penang, and Selangor. Waste exports to Malaysia affected people not only in terms of health and the environment but also in terms of relationships – worsening graft and illegality and sowing distrust and conflict. The costs of this waste colonialism, where clean air, water, land, labor, and health of recipient countries are “conquered” and “exploited” to the benefit of others, extends beyond pollution. Waste management is a governance, human rights, and environmental justice issue, too often driven by illicit activity and businesses avoiding costs in exporting countries. Plastic waste exporting countries should focus on waste prevention – reduce plastic production and consumption – rather than sending their waste to others, often under the pretext of promoting recycling.
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Notes
- 1.
Reef Check Malaysia. (2022, October 11). Malayians picked up 24,301kg of trash from our beaches. https://www.reefcheck.org.my/press/malaysians-picked-up-24301kg-of-trash-from-our-beaches
- 2.
New Straits Times. (2015, September 1). Separation of solid waste from source launched. https://www.nst.com.my/news/2015/09/separation-solid-waste-source-launched
- 3.
No interviews were secured with parties involved in illegal plastic recycling.
- 4.
Penang Port authorities, interview, Butterworth, November 12, 2019.
- 5.
Investigations by PTASKL around Klang revealed that recycling facilities set up by Chinese businessmen had been in the area since 2013, an indication that the facilities were set up after China’s OGF led Chinese waste-related businesses to move to Southeast Asia.
- 6.
Yen Nee Lee. (2018, April 16). The world is scrambling now that China is refusing to be a trash dumping ground. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/16/climate-change-china-bans-import-of-foreign-waste-to-stop-pollution.html#:~:text=It%20grew%20a%20whole%20waste,country%20into%20a%20major%20polluter.&text=China’s%20ban%2C%20they%20said%2C%20would,better%20manage%20their%20own%20trash
- 7.
WTO. Catalogue of Solid Wastes Forbidden to Import into China by the End of 2017 (4 Classes, 24 Kinds). Notification No. G/TBT/N/CHN/1211. 2017. Retrieved from http://tbtims.wto.org/en/RegularNotifications/View/137356, archived at https://perma.cc/3CUT-LEM9. The 24 types of materials were listed at https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2017/TBT/CHN/17_3218_00_x.pdf, archived at https://perma.cc/35G9-FGNL
- 8.
Fuller, Ngata, Borrelle, and Farrelly (2022) argued that waste colonialism is not only inherent in the trade of plastic waste but also in the plastic pollution problem, as a form of ecological imperialism rooted in Western industrial capitalist modes of production and consumption.
- 9.
- 10.
Greenpeace. (2019, April 23). Data from the global plastics waste trade 2016-2018 and the offshore impact of China’s foreign waste import ban, An analysis of import-export data from the top 21 exporters and 21 importers. https://www.greenpeace.org/static/planet4-eastasia-stateless/2020/06/9858a41c-gpea-plastic-waste-trade-research-briefing-v2.pdf
- 11.
Staub, C. (2020, August 12). Plastic exports drop 18% in first half of 2020. Resource Recycling. publication. https://resource-recycling.com/plastics/2020/08/12/plastic-exports-drop-18-in-first-half-of-2020/
- 12.
Clarke, J. S. (2020, October 9). UK still shipping plastic waste to poorer countries despite Conservative pledge. Greenpeace. https://unearthed.greenpeace.org/2020/10/09/plastic-waste-uk-boris-johnson-malaysia/
- 13.
Moore, D. (2021, February 17). ‘Enormous’ increase in UK plastic waste exports to Turkey and Malaysia – Greenpeace. Circular. https://www.circularonline.co.uk/news/enormous-increase-in-uk-plastic-waste-exports-to-turkey-and-malaysia-greenpeace/. For a response by Malaysian plastic industry players, see Free Malaysia Today. (2021, February 25). Claims on plastic waste imports rubbished. https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2021/02/25/claims-on-plastic-waste-imports-rubbished/
- 14.
Tan, Y. (2019, February 13). Plastic pollution: One town smothered by 17,000 tonnes of rubbish. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-46518747
- 15.
PTASKL member, several interviews, 2020.
- 16.
The terms local council, local government, or local authority tend to be used interchangeably, but for this chapter, the term local council (comprising politically appointed local councilors) is used to refer to the policymaking arm of the local government, while local authority is used to refer to the bureaucratic arm.
- 17.
B.Shashank. (2018, December 29). How heaps of U.S. plastic waste landed in Malaysia, broken down by workers earning $10 a day. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-malaysia-plastic-2018-story.html
- 18.
The lack of response from the bureaucracy to public complaints between January to July 2018, and the failure of regulatory oversight which allowed the influx of foreign waste have yet to be addressed.
- 19.
Bernama. (2019, April 27). Two Kosmo! journalists bag prestigious Kajai award. Malay Mail. https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2019/04/27/two-kosmo-journalists-bag-prestigious-kajai-award/1747448
- 20.
Chan, D. (2019, February 24). Illegal plastic recycling plants – ‘Operators shifted to other states’. New Straits Times. https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2019/02/463130/illegal-plastic-recycling-plants-operators-shifted-other-states; and information provided by the DOE in July 2020.
- 21.
Chern, L. T. (2019, July 29). It’s just about moving here to there. The Star. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/06/12/its-just-about-moving-here-to-thereplastic-waste-factories-relocated-from-penang-to-kedah
- 22.
Herschend, S. S. (2019, September 29). TV 2 finder dansk plastaffald på dumpingsite i Malaysia. https://nyheder.tv2.dk/samfund/2019-09-29-tv-2-finder-dansk-plastaffald-paa-dumpingsite-i-malaysia
- 23.
Early, C. (2017, July 31). China renews clampdown on waste imports. China Dialogue. https://chinadialogue.net/en/pollution/9954-china-renews-clampdown-on-waste-imports/.
- 24.
PTASSP member, interview, Sungai Petani, January 29, 2020.
- 25.
Nambiar, P. (2019, July 1). Sungai Petani residents lodge 10 police reports over air pollution. Free Malaysia Today. https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2019/07/01/sungai-petani-residents-lodge-10-police-reports-over-air-pollution/
- 26.
- 27.
Ayamany.K. (2020, June 19). Incidence of fire at recycling plants spikes during MCO, causing health hazards from toxic fumes. theSundaily. https://www.thesundaily.my/local/incidence-of-fire-at-recycling-plants-spikes-during-mco-causing-health-hazards-from-toxic-fumes-AY2607057
- 28.
- 29.
Prawn farm owner, Jenjarom, May 3, 2022.
- 30.
Nambiar, P. (2019, May 10). Now, world’s rubbish fouling up Sungai Petani. Free Malaysia Today. https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2019/05/10/now-worlds-rubbish-fouling-up-sungai-petani/; Nambiar, P. (2019, July 28). Kedah govt seals off huge illegal dumpsite along Sungai Muda. Free Malaysia Today.
- 31.
- 32.
Government officers, interview, Alor Setar, February 11, 2020, and information retrieved from Chern, L. T., & Sekaran, R. (2019, July 31). Water in Sg Muda declared safe. The Star. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/07/31/water-in-sg-muda-declared-safe.
- 33.
KPKT officer, interview, Putrajaya, July 1, 2020.
- 34.
Then MP for Sungai Petani, interview, Sungai Petani, February 17, 2020.
- 35.
Ahmad, M. R. (2017, October 25). Recycling company manager fined RM70,000 for harbouring 14 illegal immigrants. New Straits Times. https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2017/10/294989/recycling-company-manager-fined-rm70000-harbouring-14-illegal-immigrants
- 36.
Szeto,E., Pedersen,K., Common,D. & Denne,L. (2019, September 27) ‘Canadians would be highly shocked’: Marketplace poses as fake company to expose illegal overseas recyclers. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/plastics-recycling-waste-overseas-marketplace-1.5292512
- 37.
U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre. (n.d.). What is corruption? https://www.u4.no/topics/anti-corruption-basics/basics
- 38.
State Assembly representative, interview, Bukit Mertajam, 11 February 2020.
- 39.
The practice of businesses, legal or illegal, paying “fees” to enforcement officers has been reported by the local press. Malaysiakini had ran reports on Road Transport Department officers soliciting bribes from transport companies (see Lu Wei Hoong. (2020, February 13). Institutionalized corruption in RTD grips logistics industry, turns clean firms dirty. Malaysiakini. https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/510634). In August 2020, a whistleblower complained about police and local council protection for illegal online gambling dens, leading to arrests of enforcement officers (see Anis, M. N. (2020, August 14). MACC arrests MBSA director over alleged bribery. The Star. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/08/14/macc-arrests-mbsa-director-over-alleged-bribery). Prior to that, The Star exposed corruption among border officers and policemen involved in wildlife smuggling (see Yee, E., Shah, A., & Koonlachoti, C. (2019, September 25). EXCLUSIVE: R.AGE undercover investigations expose international smuggling ring for endangered pangolins. The Star. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/09/25/corruption-at-the-border). In addition, they revealed that since 2012, three Malaysian policemen have been arrested for smuggling pangolins across the Malaysia-Thailand border including one officer who was arrested twice. Incidentally, all three policemen arrested had worked, or are still working, at the same police station, the Kedah state police headquarters, where illegal plastic recycling operations have taken root (see Trafficked to Extinction. (n.d.). https://globalstory.pangolinreports.com/#malaysia-thai-border).
- 40.
Sin Chew Daily. (2020, July 2). Cang you zong yuan nei an zhong cao zuo, fei fa yang la ji chang bei cha feng [Secret operations in oil palm estate, illegal foreign waste factory closed down]. https://www.sinchew.com.my/?p=3010734
- 41.
Chan, D. (2019, June 3). MPK, DoE shut down illegal plastic waste plant in Teluk Gong [NSTTV]. New Straits Times. https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2019/06/493628/mpk-doe-shut-down-illegal-plastic-waste-plant-teluk-gong-nsttv
- 42.
Syed Jaymal Zahiid And Ruban Anbalagan. (2018, July 26). Graft behind Chinese firms dumping plastic waste here?. Malay Mail. https://www.malaymail.com/amp/news/malaysia/2018/07/26/graft-behind-chinese-firms-dumping-plastic-waste-here/1656056
- 43.
Former local councilor in Selangor, interview, Kuala Langat, 2 July 2020.
- 44.
A report was lodged in 2018 on the alleged illegal operation of a plastic recycling plant at Jenjarom, Kuala Langat, but the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) found no elements of corruption. Another man was arrested for receiving bribes related to the establishment of a recycling plant, but the outcome of the investigation is unknown. (Bernama. (2019, June 9). Customs to crack down on illegal plastic waste entry at ports (https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/478956). Both PTASSP and PTASKL shared that they attempted to lodge reports with MACC. PTASKL was rejected by the MACC officers, saying they had no case, while PTASSP went through an NGO and did not hear from them.
- 45.
This information was revealed when attempts were made to secure interviews with DOE officers at state and local branches and also shared by local communities.
- 46.
Chan, D. (2019, December 5). Undeterred by threat, Pua calls for continued action to protect the environment. New Straits Times. https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2019/12/544970/undeterred-threat-pua-calls-continued-action-protect-environment
- 47.
PTASK member, interview, Kuala Lumpur, 2 January 2020.
- 48.
See also Channel News Asia (30 December 2019), (Mahmud, A. H. (2021, February 4). Malaysia moves to reap the benefits of processing global plastic waste. CNA News. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-world-plastic-waste-recycling-china-11048810)
- 49.
Tan, G. (2019, November 28). Activist nabbed over alleged arson. The Star. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/05/12/activist-nabbed-over-alleged-arson
- 50.
A factory manager and driver pleaded guilty and were fined RM1,500 by the magistrate court for causing injury to the victim. They were also ordered to pay RM1,000 each as compensation to the victim (The Sun Daily. (n.d.). Factory manager, driver fined RM1,500 for causing injury to plant owner. https://www.thesundaily.my/local/factory-manager-driver-fined-rm1-500-for-causing-injury-to-plant-owner-JC1105193). A third person, a security guard, was subsequently arrested (Bernama. (2019, July 16). Another suspect detained in factory manager assault case. New Straits Times. https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2019/07/504710/another-suspect-detained-factory-manager-assault-case). Gangsterism and the threat of violence surrounding the plastic recycling operations were recurring problems which informants from both Selangor and Kedah experienced.
- 51.
The Star Online. (2020, June 23). SWCorp in battle against secret societies and gangsters. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/06/23/swcorp-in-battle-against-secret-societies-and-gangsters
- 52.
Chow, M. D. (2018, November 15). Plastic waste a RM30 billion industry, Dewan Rakyat told. https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2018/11/15/plastic-waste-a-rm30-billion-industry-dewan-rakyat-told/
- 53.
Bedi, R. S. (2019, July 29). Zuraida: Imports of clean, recyclable plastic allowed, never plastic ‘rubbish’. The Star. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/01/15/zuraida-imports-of-clean-recyclable-plastic-allowed-never-plastic-rubbish
- 54.
Mestecc launches national action plan on enforcement against plastic waste imports. (2020, February 10). The Sun Daily. https://www.thesundaily.my/local/mestecc-launches-national-action-plan-on-enforcement-against-plastic-waste-imports-CA1992073#:~:text=Mestecc%20launches%20national%20action%20plan%20on%20enforcement%20against%20plastic%20waste%20imports,-10%20Feb%202020&text=The%20plan%2C%20also%20known%20as,said%20in%20a%20statement%20today
- 55.
Yunus, A., & Hana Naz Harun and Teh Athira Yusof. (2020, November 4). Drop it! 61 premises charged over water pollution. New Straits Times. https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/11/637913/drop-it-61-premises-charged-over-water-pollution
- 56.
Lim, I. (2019, May 17). Court fines two Selangor factories RM120,000 for illegal plastic recycling. Malay Mail. https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2019/05/17/court-fines-two-selangor-factories-rm120000-for-illegal-plastic-recycling/1754010
- 57.
Chan, D. (2019, February 23). Selangor gets tough on illegal factories [NSTTV]. New Straits Times. https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2019/02/462869/selangor-gets-tough-illegal-factories-nsttv
- 58.
Rajendra, E. (2019, November 28). MPK cuts off electricity supply at illegal plastic waste processing plant. The Star. https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2019/06/24/mpk-cuts-off-electricity-supply-at-illegal-plastic-waste-processing-plant
- 59.
Martin Vengadesan & Low Choon Chyuan. (2020, August 20). The Selangor gov’t and scourge of plastic waste. https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/539196
- 60.
Kedah state officer, interview, Alor Setar, February 11, 2020.
- 61.
Chern, L. T. (2019, July 29). Illegal plastic factories booming. The Star. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/05/18/illegal-plastic-factories-booming/
- 62.
Government officer, interview, Shah Alam, September 14, 2020.
- 63.
International officer, interview, teleconference, June 4, 2020.
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Acknowledgments
Research for this chapter was supported by the Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4 Center) in Malaysia. This chapter draws partially from the full report titled Malaysia is not a “garbage dump”: Citizens against corruption, complacency, crime, and climate crisis (2021).
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Wong, P.Y. (2024). Exporting Pollution, Colonizing Health. In: Gündoğdu, S. (eds) Plastic Waste Trade. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-51358-9_13
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