EU plastic waste exports to Malaysia soar despite government’s vow to stop influx

An influx of plastic waste has overwhelmed Malaysia in recent years as it remains a major destination for rubbish discarded by Western countries unwilling to dispose of it domestically.

However, data from Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office, suggests the opposite is happening, with a 35 per cent increase in plastic waste being sent from the bloc to Malaysia last year over 2022.

The EU exported 8.5 million tonnes of paper, plastic and glass to other countries in 2023, a 34 per cent increase from the year before, with just over a fifth of it destined for dumps in Malaysia, Eurostat said.