Illegal dumping
Illegal dumping is among the most rampant environmental crimes of the 21st century arising from industrialization of most economies and intensified global trade. Numerous definitions exist for this offence. The Protection of the Environment Act 1997 for instance defines illegal dumping as any “dealings involving the unlawful transportation, acceptance and depositing of wastes” XX. The perpetrators of illegal dumping are the state where the waste originates, the transporter of such wastes and the person receiving the waste or aiding the receiving of the waste substances. The scope of illegal dumping varies and could be within a country’s border or extend to a global scale. At the national scale, illegal dumping entails the wrongful disposal of household and industrial wastes produced locally. Illegal waste dumping at the international scale on the other hand entails the illegal transportation and disposal of foreign wastes to another country distinct from their country of origin. Wastes at both levels comprise of garbage, household appliances, old automobiles, debris from construction and demolition activities and hazardous wastes. Malaysia records one of the highest cases of illegal dumping from the developed nations of the world XX. The waste products imported to this developing country are wrongfully classified as plastic recycling materials from countries such as the UK, US, and France.
Developed countries of the world are responsible for the rampant illegal dumping of plastics in Malaysia. The reason for this is because developed countries such the US, Germany and XX produce the highest amounts of waste. World Bank data shows there exists a positive correlation between waste generation and income level xx(https://datatopics.worldbank.org/what-a-waste/trends_in_solid_waste_management.html). the explanation high levels of waste production in developed countries is due to their high levels of consumption. The illegal exportation of plastic wastes into Malaysia has intensified since China announced its ban on the importation of plastics. China had for the longest time been the largest importer of plastics until January 2018 when it announced strict standards and an eventual ban on such imports by 2020. This move by China was said to be part of the move by the Xi administration to limit pollution in Beijing and Hongkong. It also signalled a shift in China’s trading strategy as has been seen over the past decade including focusing on domestic consumption. This move by China disrupted the flow of millions of tons of plastic waste annually making Malaysia the leading alternative destination for such wastes. The United States, Britain, Japan, and Australia are the leading exporter of plastic wastes to Malaysia.
The dramatic rise in the importation of plastic wastes affects Malaysian communities and their citizens negatively. Most of the heaps of plastic wastes exported to Malaysia ends up in landfills and is not recycled in the proper manner. For instance, a recent study of the soil in Malaysia revealed that there existed high levels of contamination XX. Such instances reveale the health implicaations of the wasted illegally shipped to developing countries might have on the citizens of such countries. Growing crops on such soil may transmit harmful diseases such as cancers to unknowing consumwers in Malaysia. Aditionally, a study revelaved that the numerous “recycling” emerging in Malaysia do not possess the skills and technology required for recycling waste products XX(https://www.greenpeace.org/international/press-release/19566/recycling-from-developed-world-dumped-in-malaysia-and-left-to-rot/). Ironically , most of these firms are undocumented and burn suvch plastic imports on thre roadside in the open air and other poorly regulated landfills in close proximity to water bodies. In some instances even, such wastes are toosed into abandoned buildings or simply left to discompose in the open. The burning of plastic wastes in The combustion of plastic wastes poses significant health risks to the surrounding communities with some incidents of Malaysians suffering from respiratory complications. It is belived such illnesses are as aresult of fumes emanating from the constaminated plastics.The illgal landfills also xontribute to social evils among the low class Malaysians who live within such sites. They promote the surge of street families and gangs who engage in criminal activities and drig abuse worsening the social status of Malaysia. The overall heath , environmental and socisl implications of illgal exportation of wasres to Malaysia is doing more harm than benefing for this growing economy. The recent reshipping back of 3000 tons of illegal plastic importations to their countries of origin marks a tough stance on this illegal practice.