Port storage fees waived to clear containers with plastic waste

Negotiations are ongoing with foreign countries to return the plastic waste found to have been exported to Malaysia.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is negotiating with countries sending their plastic waste here to take back the trash.

It is waiving storage fees to clear hundreds of containers of scrap stranded at ports across the country for months, officials say.

Last year, Malaysia became the world’s main destination for plastic waste after China banned imports of scrap.

It increased scrutiny after huge inflows and stopped many containers containing scrap which did not have the required permits.

Over 300 containers carrying plastic waste from Japan, Hong Kong, Europe, Canada and the United States are being held at the port in Penang , one of the busiest in the country, said Phee Boon Poh, the state executive councillor in charge of the environment.

Some countries have agreed in principle to take back 200 containers and the modalities are being worked out, Phee and Penang Port chief executive Sasedharan Vasudevan said.

Over 100 containers are also being held at Kuching port and some are in the process of being returned to the source country, an official with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Malaysia had vowed earlier this year to send plastic waste back to the source country and get them to pay for the transportation costs.

Environment Minister Yeo Been Yin said this month three countries will take back 89 containers, local media reported.

Her ministry did not have an immediate comment on Thursday.

Vasudevan said some of the containers will also be cleared after the government reissued permits to Malaysian importers of the scrap and the port agreed to waive months’ of unpaid storage fees — accumulated as a result of not being allowed to offload the cargo.

“Buyers have abandoned them because the cost of retrieving it has become too high,” Vasudevan said, adding that some of the containers at the port have been there for almost a year. - FMT