This archive report was first published on 2 July 2019.
Published on July 2, 2019, Indonesia has taken a significant step in addressing the global plastic waste crisis by announcing the return of 49 shipping containers of waste to their countries of origin.
The containers, which were loaded with a combination of garbage, plastic waste, and hazardous materials in violation of import rules, were destined for various countries including the United States, Australia, France, Germany, and Hong Kong.
"We are coordinating with the importer to immediately process their return," said Sumarna, a customs office spokesman on Batam island.
This move comes as Southeast Asian nations, including Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, increasingly reject serving as dumping grounds for international trash.
China's decision in 2018 to ban imports of foreign plastic waste threw global recycling into chaos, leaving developed nations struggling to find places to send their waste.
As a result, huge quantities of rubbish have been redirected to Southeast Asia, exacerbating the plastic waste crisis.
