Indonesia sends waste containers back to France and Hong Kong

Indonesia has returned seven containers of waste illegally brought into the country to France and Hong Kong. South-East Asian countries are doing this more and more often in order to avoid becoming the dumping ground of rich countries.

The local manager stated that the returned containers contain household waste and plastic as well as dangerous material, which is contrary to the import regulations, reports the customs authorities of the island of Batam.

Five containers were sent back to Hong Kong on Monday, the other two to France. The authorities are also waiting for authorization to send 42 other containers to the United States, Australia, and Germany each returning.

More plastic and other waste from industrialized countries are on its way to South-East Asian states after China stopped the import of waste last year in order to reduce pollution. However, countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines are now saying that they do not want to become dumping sites for waste.

Moreover, the countries of origin do not always put in the waste that they label. Environmental groups in Indonesia have encouraged the government to tighten up the regulation of plastic waste.