Illegally imported e-waste container to be sent back to US

 

Electronic waste which was found to have been shipped into Malaysia illegally will be sent back to its country of origin - the United States.

Penang Department of Environment (DOE) director Sharifah Zakiah Syed Sahab said the container full of e-waste was found during a spot check at the North Butterworth Container Terminal (NBCT).

The operation was carried out by the state DOE, the Customs Department, Sirim QAS International, and the NBCT port officer.

The container, which will be sent back to the US, was previously impounded after its manifest declaration of ‘aluminium alloy’ was suspected to be false.

Shafirah said the container was loaded with waste and the importer was tasked with returning it or face fines.

“During the inspection, the 40-foot container was found with 38 pellets of scrap waste from printed circuit boards (PCB), internal hard disk drives, CPUs, and other electronic components that were categorised as scheduled waste under code SW 110 (e-waste) First Schedule, Environmental Quality (Scheduled Waste) Regulations 2005.

“A Notice of Instruction under Sections 31 and 37 of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 was issued to the importer for the return of the container to the country of origin.

“Failure to do so, the department will initiate court action under Section 34B involving a maximum fine of RM 500,000 and mandatory imprisonment of a maximum of five years can be imposed.

“The importer with an address in Klang, Selangor can also be subjected to face action under Sections 31 and 37 for the offence of failing to comply with the notice if he disobeys the instructions issued.

“The DOE has collected a sampling of the e-waste,” she said in a statement issued today.

She added that the illegal importation of e-waste from abroad is against the law and the Basel Convention.

Hazardous chemicals

Illegal disposal and processing of e-waste can have negative implications for the environment and health, she said, especially when most of the waste may be sent to unlicensed premises for illegal processing or worse, if disposed of by burning or planting.

Sharifah said illegal processing of e-waste without control devices can cause the release of hazardous chemicals including heavy metals that pollute the soil, water, and air.

Electrical and electronic waste produced in Malaysia must be sent and processed only on premises licensed by the DOE.

E-waste also has materials that can be recycled, but materials that cannot be recycled must be disposed of in an authorised and safe manner. - Mkini