Malaysia pops recycling myth bubble
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Malaysia is to send around 3,000 tonnes of contaminated plastic waste back to the wealthy countries that shipped it there, in a stand against becoming a dumping ground for the world’s “recycled” garbage
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Countries exporting plastic waste to Malaysia...
CHINA
MALAYSIA
... of which 10 largest are (by thousands of metric tonnes)
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Jan 2018: China bans importation of plastic waste from other countries. Until then, it had disposed of about 70% of world’s total plastic scrap Half of world’s plastic waste, intended for recycling, is actually traded internationally
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Malaysia (and some other countries) have taken over China’s former market share, leading to appearance of dozens of illegal recycling facilities. Plastic is burned in open air, dumped close to bodies of water or left to rot
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Dangers of burning plastic
Modify DNA, cancer 
Respiratory disease 
Heart disease 
Liver/kidney disease 
Skin rashes
Affect reproduction
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U.S. 195.44
Japan 104.92
UK  95.25
Germany  72.50
Hong Kong  42.40
Australia 34.18
Belgium  22.42
Spain  20.59 
Estonia 20.26
France 18.37

U.S. is one of two countries not to ratify Basel Convention to control movement of plastic waste between nations

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Cumulative plastic waste generation and disposal
25,000 million metric tonnes
20,000 Plastic waste Projection
15,000 Discarded
10,000 Incinerated
5,000  Recycled
0 
1950 2000 2050
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Sources: Greenpeace, National Geographic, Reuters, CNN Picture: Greenpeace © GRAPHIC NEWS