Huge quantities of waste have been redirected to Southeast Asian nations after China – which used to receive the bulk of scrap plastic from around the world – closed its doors to foreign refuse last year in a bid to clean up its environment.
But the southeast Asian nation has pushed back against becoming a dumping ground for foreign waste, sending almost 250 containers seized across the archipelago back to their origin countries including the United States, Germany, France, Hong Kong, Australia and Britain.
Authorities are inspecting more than 1,000 others, a customs official said.