1

IMPORTATION OF PLASTIC WASTE

TO MALAYSIA

IMPEL Waste and TFS Conference

16-17 October 2019

Bucharest, Romania

Ms Nuraziatul Aida Ismail

Enforcement Division

Department of Environment

Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment & Climate Change (MESTECC)

MALAYSIA

CONTENT

•Country’s Policy on Plastic Waste

•Approved Permit for Importation of Plastic Waste

•Current Situation

•Illegal Shipment of Plastic Waste

1) The construction of recycling plant (solid waste) is subjected to the Environmental Quality (Prescribed Activities) (Environmental Impact Assessment) Order 2015, under Activity 14(b)(ii): Any person who intends to carry out the activity is required to submit a report on the EIA to the DG of Environment for consideration, as mentioned under Section 34A of the Environmental Quality Act, 1974.

2) Department of Environment (DOE) only allows premises that fully comply with Environmental Quality Act (EQA) 1974 to import plastic waste to be recycled at their premises.

3) Plastic waste is a controlled item under the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 [Act 672] by the Department of National Solid Waste Management (DNSWM). The importation of plastic wasteunder the HS Code 3915 is controlled under the Custom (Prohibition of Import) Order 2017 which the import manner required an approved permit (AP) from the DNSWM.

4) DOE as the Focal Point to the Basel Convention has transmitted information to the Secretariat of the Basel Convention on the controlling of plastic waste that required special consideration (i.e. approved permit requirement) when subjected to transboundary movement.

COUNTRYCOUNTRY’’S POLICY ON PLASTIC S POLICY ON PLASTIC

WASTEWASTE

Focal point (FP)

Job title: Director General

Department: Department of

Environment

Institution: Ministry of Energy,

Science, Technology, Environment &

Climate Change (MESTECC)

Competent Authority (CA)Competent Authority (CA)

waste related to Y46- Waste collected from

households (Annex II to BC)

Job title: Director General

Department: Department of National Solid

Waste Management

Institution:Ministry of Urban Well being,

Housing and Local Government

Basel Convention

Country Contacts

APPROVED PERMIT (AP)

• The importation of plastic waste under the HS Code 3915 is controlled under the Custom (Prohibition of Import) Order 2017 which requires an Approved Permit (AP)

• AP is issued by Department of National Solid Waste Management, Malaysia

• AP is given per shipment

• Shipment should be completed within validated period of AP

Validated period

Consignee

(AP Holder)

Description of goods

HS Code

Weight

Permit No.

CURRENT SITUATION

• Since September 2018, DOE focused on illegal recycling facilities (i.e. plastic waste recyclers) due to increased number of public complaint

• Premises operated without license from State Authorities and no proper pollution control equipment, violating EQA 1974

• Up till June 2019, 155 illegal plastic waste recycling facilities were shut down

Premises : 0

Premises : 25

Shut down: 15

Premises: 37

Shut down: 11

Premises: 32

Shut down: 13

Premises: 128

Shut down: 90

Premises: 2

Shut down: 2

Premises: 2

Shut down: 0

Premises: 18

Shut down: 12

Premises : 27

Shut down: 11

Premises : 2

Shut down: 0

Premise: 1

Shut down :

0

Premise: 1

Shut down: 1

Premises: 0

Premise: 1

Shut down :

0

Premises: 6

Shut down :

0

ILLEGAL PLASTIC WASTE RECYCLERS

Updated: June 2019

9

10

11

12

CURRENT SITUATION

Updated: June 2019

ILLEGAL SHIPMENT OF PLASTIC WASTE

• China’s ban on plastic waste import Southeast Asian countries

• Plastic imports to Malaysia have tripled since 2016, to 870,000 tonnes last year

• Illegal shipments of plastic waste to Malaysia with no AP

• Unclaimed containers containing plastic waste at Malaysian ports

• 22nd August 2019, DOE taken over 79 cases of illegal shipments involving 198 containers from 14 consignees and 12 countries.

• Illegal premises had been shut down and Malaysia is committed to sent back all containers of plastic waste not complying to domestic legal requirements as well as Basel Convention

HS CODE

3915

17

HS CODE

3915

1) Consignees (facility) were not an Approved Permit holder under the Department of National Solid Waste Management, Malaysia.

2) The receiving facility do not comply to requirements of EQA 1974, and DOE has a reason to believe that this plastic scrap will not be managed in an environmentally sound manner and against the EQA 1974.

3) DOE as the focal point to the Basel Convention will ensure only premises which fully complied to the provision under the EQA 1974 will be allowed to import clean plastics for recycling.

4) As a Party to the Basel Convention, Malaysia will impose strict requirements in line with the Article 4(11) of the Convention for all importation of mixed plastic waste to ensure that any transboundary movements are conducted in a manner which will protect human health and the environment.

JJUSTIFICATION OF ILLEGAL SHIPMENT USTIFICATION OF ILLEGAL SHIPMENT

OF CONTROLLED PLASTIC WASTEOF CONTROLLED PLASTIC WASTE

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT

Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment & Climate

Change (MESTECC)

Aras 1-4, Podium 2 & 3

Wisma Sumber Asli

No. 25, Persiaran Perdana, Precinct 4

62574 Putrajaya, Malaysia

www.doe.gov.my

TERIMA KASIH / THANK YOU

Ms Nuraziatul Aida Ismail

e-mail: aziatul@doe.gov.my

Tel: +603-8871 2291