Indonesia: Authorities return 210 tonnes of non-compliant waste to Australia
20 Minutes with AFP
Published 09 / 07 / 19
Back to the sender. In Indonesia, authorities announced on Tuesday that 210 tonnes of non-compliant waste will be returned to Australia, their country of origin. The countries of Southeast Asia are increasing this type of operation so that they are no longer the dumping grounds of Western countries.
The eight containers were to contain only recyclable paper. But authorities found plastic bottles, packaging, used diapers, electronic waste and cans there. After this inspection, the Ministry of the Environment recommended that this "waste be re-exported", according to a press release.
Chaos in the global waste market
This decision "was taken to protect the people and the environment of Indonesia, especially the region of East Java" against toxic and dangerous waste, explains the ministry. The waste exporting company is the Australian company Oceanic Multitrading in collaboration with the Indonesian company MDI which manufactures recycled paper and cardboard, according to the authorities. In mid-June, Jakarta had already returned five containers of waste to the United States, joining several countries in Southeast Asia unhappy to serve as a dumping ground for the West. Forty-nine other containers are waiting on the Indonesian island of Batam and must be redirected to the United States, Australia, France, Germany and Hong Kong.
In 2018, China's decision to stop importing plastic waste from around the world created chaos in the global recycling market and forced developed countries to find new destinations for their waste. Since then, huge quantities of waste have been diverted to Southeast Asia where recycling capacities are limited.
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