mei mei chu The Star 1 Sep 18;
KLANG: Illegal plastic waste recycling factories are a threat to the environment, says Yeo Bee Yin.
The Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister said the government had blocked the import of plastic waste a month ago and shut down 14 illegal recycling factories in Kuala Langat.
However, she added that many illegal factories that had imported plastic waste from January and June this year now have existing stock that cannot be processed.
During a press conference after a dialogue session with Klang residents on the Johan Setia open burning issue on Saturday (Sept 1), Yeo said some of these illegal factories had indiscriminately dumped the waste in empty plots of land.
She said the Ministry is studying measures to solve the problem.
Yeo emphasised that not all recycling plants are illegal and that the government would only take action against those that are unlicensed or polluting the environment.
The Bakri MP urged residents to report any unlicensed plastic factories polluting the environment to their local council or state assemblyman.
"This is not just an environmental issue, this is also a local council issue as it involves illegal factories," she said.
Britain's plastic waste export to Malaysia reportedly tripled during the first four months of 2018 after China placed a ban on waste imports.
As many as 38 plastic waste recycling factories had mushroomed in Kuala Langat over the past two years, posing a health hazard to residents as many of them were dumping waste into rivers.
