MALAYSIA is likely to be the first Southeast Asian country to ship waste back to Australia as early as next month, reports The Australian.

Australian Environment Minister Sussan Ley warned that the rubbish – two shipping containers filled with contaminated and unsorted plastic waste – includes maggot-infested milk cartons, and may be first subjected to quarantine controls and hazardous waste checks before it is allowed into the country.

She told the newspaper that the government will consider accepting Australian waste that had been shipped to other countries if it is found to have breached international laws.

Canberra is working with Southeast Asian governments to establish whether there have been exports that did not comply with requirements, she said, adding that it has yet to receive any official notification on the intention to return waste.

“In the event that a notification is received, the Australian government will work cooperatively with the affected countries and exporters to verify whether an offence has occurred, and to determine the most environmentally sound way to deal with the waste.

“This could include the return of the material to Australia.”

Australian and Malaysian officials met in Putrajaya last week to discuss the issue after Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin said Malaysia will not become a dumping ground for industrialised nations.

The first batch of rubbish will be returned at the expense of the Malaysian importer, said The Australian, and not by invoking the Basel Convention, which could require the Australian government to bear the cost.

Australia is not the only nation accused of dumping such waste.

Malaysia will also return mislabelled or illegally exported rubbish to Britain, Canada, the US, Japan, Saudi Arabia, China, Bangladesh and France. Other countries in the region are expected to follow suit.

The Philippines has fought a long-running battle with Canada over the latter’s previous refusal to take back dozens of containers filled with contaminated waste.

Indonesia this week said it has sent back 100 tonnes of rubbish to the US. Several shipping containers from Australia are also being held at Jakarta docks as they are believed to contain high levels of plastic contaminants. – June 21, 2019.