China’s decision to ban foreign plastic waste imports last year threw global recycling into chaos, leaving developed nations struggling to find countries to send their trash.
Cambodia too has decided that it will not act as a bin for the developed countries and so will send back 1,600 tonnes of plastic waste found in shipping containers to the US and Canada.
The rubbish was found on Tuesday in scores of shipping containers at the port town of Sihanoukville and will be sent back to its origin. 70 containers full of plastic waste were shipped from the United State while another 13 were sent from Canada.
Huge quantities of rubbish have wound up on Southeast Asian shores as opposition to handling exported trash is growing in the region.
Indonesia announced this month it was sending back dozens of containers full of waste to France and other developed nations while neighboring Malaysia said in May it was shipping 450 tonnes of imported plastic waste back to its sources.
This is a revolt of Southeast Asian countries against an onslaught of rubbish shipments.
This is a Syndicate News-Feed