Malaysia has sent back 150 shipping containers of plastic waste to mostly wealthier nations, with the Southeast Asian country saying Monday it would not be the world's "garbage dump".
Many Chinese recycling businesses moved to
Malaysia after the ban took effect, leading to huge quantities of plastic being shipped in without permits and flooding small communities.
Governments across the region are now sending back illegally imported plastic, and Environment Minister Yeo Bee Yin said Malaysia had returned 150 shipping containers carrying 3,737 metric tons to places including
France,
Britain and the United States.