Latest news with #BaselConvention
New Straits Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Japan to enforce stricter measures against illegal e-waste exports to Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR: The Japanese embassy in Malaysia expressed its commitment to strictly enforce measures against illegal electronic waste (e-waste) exports, today. It said that Japanese authorities will work together with Malaysian authorities to ensure that illegal e-waste from Japan does not land in Malaysia. "The government of Japan regards illegal exports of electronic waste as a serious issue. "In the event of any illegal exports, we will share information with the relevant parties and take necessary actions, such as providing guidance to the exporters involved to ensure compliance," it said in a statement today. It also underscored its commitment of adhering to the Basel Convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal. The embassy said that the Japanese government will raise awareness to exporters and actively promote using available support services, such as the pre-consultation desks provided by the Japanese ministries to help ensure that exporters comply with procedures. "We would also like to highlight that, as part of Japan's border control measures, we have successfully prevented more than 20 cases of illegal electronic waste exports to Malaysia in the past year alone." On May 19, Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said that a large part of e-waste from Malaysia originated from Japan and the United States. Between Jan 1 and May 13 this year, the Department of Environment confirmed that 122 containers that arrived in Malaysia were carrying e-waste, with importers falsely declaring the contents of the containers.
New Straits Times
21-05-2025
- New Straits Times
NST Leader: Of e-waste and 'importers'
When it comes to e-waste, we have been hearing one refrain for the longest time: container importers are misrepresenting their contents. Yet we do not hear of fraudulent importers being severely punished. So long as this leniency persists, expect the importers to continue to falsely declare the contents of the containers and get away with it. Most of them are not importers but members of global smuggling syndicates. We appreciate the government's desire to ensure that Malaysia doesn't become a dumping ground for developed nations' e-waste. But desire must be followed by right actions. The first right action is to begin at home by making fraudulent importers pay heavily for their crime. Such crooks of commerce must have their licence revoked. Period. We will be glad to be proved wrong, but we have yet to hear any importer's licence being revoked after all these years of "importers misrepresenting their containers' contents". Why are we so coy when it comes to punishing people who practise such crass commerce? The next right action is to send the container back to where it came from. Here, our authorities deserve applause aplenty. We have been repeatedly told that all seized containers were sent back to the countries of origin. But we must remember, not all e-waste containers were seized. Many have gotten away, with their "importers" coming for repeat business. Blame it on less-than-robust enforcement. Puzzlingly, there are some Malaysians who are advocating the import of e-waste, arguing that such a move would put us on a "green" path. Little do they realise that not all of the e-waste can be processed; most of it is dumped, causing environmental damage of the dangerous kind. E-waste is toxic. Ask China why they banned e-waste imports in 2018. Not because of some peculiar ideology, but because of sane concerns about the health of its people and the environment. Our actions must reflect such sane concerns for our people and the environment. However, returning e-waste containers is after the fact. Malaysia must act before the illegal e-waste lands here. Now that we know that most of the e-waste is from Japan and the United States, there must be serious government-to-government discussions to get the countries to keep their waste at home. After all, such a move will be very much in line with international law and shipping regulations, the Basel Convention being one. Greenpeace Malaysia's campaign lead, Heng Kiah Chun, put it best to this newspaper on Tuesday: "No country should be treated as a dumping ground. Each country must take responsibility for managing its own waste." Malaysia has enough of its own e-waste to manage without bearing the burden of others. As pointed out by Heng, our post-consumer e-waste management system is in its infancy. For a nation that produces tonnes of e-waste, that is too early a stage to be in. Finally, Malaysia must join the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia to push for global e-waste accountability of electronic manufacturers. Their responsibility doesn't end with the sale of their equipment, but extends to collection, repair and reuse, says Greenpeace Malaysia. We agree.
The Star
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
M'sia reaffirms strong waste stance
Nation committed to addressing its movement and disposal, says Nik Nazmi PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia has reaffirmed its strong stance on controlling the transboundary movement and disposal of hazardous waste at the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (BRS COPs), held from April 28 to May 9 in Geneva, Switzerland, says Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad ( pic ). The Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister said Malaysia's participation in the summits reflected its firm commitment to address the movement and disposal of hazardous waste. 'As a developing nation, Malaysia has consistently been active and vocal in voicing its position at the negotiation table, particularly on the control of hazardous waste and chemical imports into the country. This meeting also served as the first platform for Malaysia to represent Asean's voice – that Asean is not the world's dumping ground for toxic, problematic or hard-to-recycle waste,' he said in a statement yesterday, Bernama reported. The BRS COPs consist of three key multilateral environmental agreements that govern the management of hazardous chemicals and waste. The Basel Convention focuses on reducing the generation of hazardous waste and regulating its cross-border movement. The Rotterdam Convention oversees international trade in hazardous chemicals, while the Stockholm Convention addresses the control of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Nik Nazmi said he exchanged views with his counterparts from other member states on the impact of poorly regulated hazardous chemicals and waste, particularly in relation to climate change and biodiversity loss. He also held bilateral talks with Qatar's Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Dr Abdullah Abdulaziz Turki Al Subaie, to explore potential cooperation through a memorandum of understanding in environmental protection and climate change. 'I also held a brief meeting with representatives of the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty and the executive secretary of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC), Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, to discuss ways to finalise and implement the Global Plastics Treaty in a fair, effective and practical manner,' he added. Nik Nazmi said Malaysia will continue its collaboration with the Basel Action Network (BAN) and reaffirmed its commitment to combat the illegal import of e-waste and plastic waste, especially from developed countries. 'My discussion with BAN executive director and founder Jim Puckett focused on Malaysia's efforts to intercept and return illegal waste shipments, and the importance of cooperation in information sharing and regional enforcement,' he said. He emphasised the need for Malaysia to maintain an active role at the international level to safeguard national interests in addressing environmental pollution, especially in the control of the movement of hazardous waste and chemical imports. 'Such commitments ensure Malaysia remains focused on key negotiation issues and continues to stay on the right path in protecting both human well-being and the environment,' he said.
CBS News
14-05-2025
- CBS News
Over 200 tons of illegally imported electronic waste from U.S. found in Thailand, officials say
Thai officials on Wednesday said they seized 238 tons of illegally imported electronic waste from the United States at the port of Bangkok, one of the biggest lots they've found this year. The waste, which came in 10 large containers, was declared as mixed metal scrap containing aluminium, copper and iron, but turned out to be circuit boards mixed in a huge pile of metal scrap, said Theeraj Athanavanich, director-general of the Customs Department. The electronic waste — which is classified as hazardous waste under the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal — was found on Tuesday after the 40-foot containers became the subject of a routine random inspection, officials said. The Basel Convention is an international treaty signed in 1989 meant to deal with hazardous waste flowing into developing countries as costs for disposal grew along with the amount of waste. A U.N. report last year said electronic waste is piling up worldwide. Some 62 million tons of electronic waste was generated in 2022 and that figure is on track to reach 82 million tons by 2030, the report said. It said only 22% of the waste was properly collected and recycled in 2022 and that quantity is expected to fall to 20% by the end of the decade due to higher consumption, limited repair options, shorter product life cycles, and inadequate management infrastructure. Thai officials show samples of illegally imported electronic waste from the United States which they said they seized at Bangkok Port during a press conference in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. Sakchai Lalit / AP Theeraj said Thai authorities are looking to press charges including falsely declaring imported goods, illegally importing electronic waste and planning to re-export the waste back to its country of origin. "It's important that we take action on this kind of goods," he said. "There are environmental impacts that are dangerous to the people, especially communities around factories that might import these things for processing, then recycling." Electronic waste creates huge health hazards. Many components are laden with lead and mercury, cadmium and other toxins. Recyclers are after gold, silver, palladium and copper, mainly from printed circuit boards, but lax controls mean that facilities often burn plastics to release encased copper and use unsafe methods to extract precious metals. A Thai official shows samples of illegally imported electronic waste from the United States which they said they seized at Bangkok Port during a press conference in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. Sakchai Lalit / AP Thailand passed a ban on the import of a range of electronic waste products in 2020. The Cabinet in February approved an expanded list of the banned waste. Sunthron Kewsawang, deputy director-general of the Department of Industrial Works, said officials suspected at least two factories in Samut Sakhon province, which borders Bangkok, are involved in importing the waste. Last year, Thai officials found thousands of tons of smuggled cadmium waste at a factory in the province, Thai PBS reported. Residents near the area were later found to have usually high levels of the poisonous metal in their urine, according to the report. Exposure to cadmium can cause flu-like symptoms, including chills, fever and muscle pain, according to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Long-term exposure can lead to cancer, kidney, bone and lung disease. In January, the Customs Department said it seized 256 tons of illegally imported electronic waste from Japan and Hong Kong at a port in eastern Thailand. contributed to this report.
New Straits Times
02-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Malaysia reaffirms firm stand on hazardous waste control at BRS COPs
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia has reaffirmed its strong position on controlling the transboundary movement and disposal of hazardous waste at the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (BRS COPs), held from April 28 to May 9 in Geneva, Switzerland. Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, in a statement today, said Malaysia's participation reflects its firm commitment to addressing the movement and disposal of hazardous waste. "As a developing nation, Malaysia has consistently been active and vocal in voicing its position at the negotiation table, particularly on the control of hazardous waste and chemical imports into the country. "This meeting also served as the first platform for Malaysia to represent Asean's voice - that Asean is not the world's dumping ground for toxic, problematic, or hard-to-recycle waste," he said. The BRS COPs consist of three key multilateral environmental agreements that govern the management of hazardous chemicals and waste. The Basel Convention focuses on reducing the generation of hazardous waste and regulating its cross-border movement. The Rotterdam Convention oversees international trade in hazardous chemicals, while the Stockholm Convention addresses the control of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Nik Nazmi said he exchanged views with his counterparts from other member states on the impact of poorly regulated hazardous chemicals and waste, particularly in relation to climate change and biodiversity loss. He also held bilateral talks with Qatar's Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Dr Abdullah Abdulaziz Turki Al Subaie, to explore potential cooperation through a memorandum of understanding in environmental protection and climate change. "I also held a brief meeting with representatives of the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty and the Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC), Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, to discuss ways to finalise and implement the Global Plastics Treaty in a fair, effective, and practical manner," he added. Nik Nazmi said Malaysia will continue its collaboration with the Basel Action Network (BAN) and reaffirmed its commitment to combating the illegal import of e-waste and plastic waste, especially from developed countries. "My discussion with BAN executive director and founder Jim Puckett focused on Malaysia's efforts to intercept and return illegal waste shipments, and the importance of cooperation in information sharing and regional enforcement," he said. He emphasised the need for Malaysia to maintain an active role at the international level to safeguard national interests in addressing environmental pollution, especially in the control of hazardous waste movement and chemical imports. "Such commitments ensure that Malaysia remains focused on key negotiation issues and continues to stay on the right path in protecting both human well-being and the environment," he said.– BERNAMA
