Page 30 - Plastics News July 2021

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Biffa completes plastics recycling Malaysia returning 81 illegal
facility takeover plastic waste containers

K waste management firm has completed the he Government of
8acquisition of Scotland’s only post-consumer plastics TMalaysia is currently in
recycling facility (PRF) from Green Circle Polymers for £10 the process of returning
million ($13.9m). Located in Grangemouth, the PRF is one 81 illegal plastic waste
RI WKH ODUJHVW LQ WKH 8. SURFHVVLQJ DURXQG WRQQHV containers back to their
of plastics annually – including mixed plastics bottles, countries of origin. In a
tubs and trays. The facility also has the capability to sort report by Reuters, it noted
coloured plastics material and metal cans.Biffa said the that Malaysia has returned
DFTXLVLWLRQ ÀUVW DQQRXQFHG LQ WKH FRPSDQ\·V IXOO \HDU 267 illegal plastic waste
results at the start of June, would enable it to provide containers back to where
more recyclable plastics feedstock in line with its strategy they originated since 2019.
to quadruple its plastics recycling capacity by 2030.The It did not report on where the containers had been
move comes ahead of the implementation of a deposit or would be returned to. Reuters said that Malaysian
return scheme (DRS) in Scotland in 2022, which will enable Environment Minister Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man warned
consumers to recycle their used bottles and cans, including
PET plastics, metal, and glass.Chief executive Michael that shipping companies or agents that broke Malaysia’s
Topham said the acquisition builds on Biffa’s leadership environment and import laws would face strict action.
position in closed-loop recycling and strengthens its However, Malaysia has permitted two containers of
capacity to process and recycle more plastics waste in SODVWLF IURP WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV WKDW ZHUH WKRXJKW
Scotland.“As a leading enabler of the circular economy to be illegal stating that they did not require prior
LQ WKH 8. WKLV LQYHVWPHQW KHOSV XV VXSSRUW 6FRWODQG·V informed consent. Malaysia became the destination
vision of a greener future, as it prepares to introduce RI FKRLFH IRU WKH ZRUOG V SODVWLF ZDVWH DIWHU &KLQD
WKH '56 WR UHGXFH OLWWHULQJ DQG LPSURYH UHF\FOLQJ OHYHOV µ banned imports in 2018, but is struggling to fend off a
KH VDLG ´:H DUH GHOLJKWHG WR ZHOFRPH WKH *UHHQ &LUFOH deluge of generally unlicensed unrecyclable garbage.
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chief executive of Green Circle Polymers, added: “This is the Basel Convention came into force on January2021,
an exciting move and I’d like to thank the loyal customers intended to discourage the production of hard-to-
recycle plastics and to prevent rich countries dumping
trash in the developing world, where it often ends
up polluting the local environment and the ocean.
Signatories to the Convention may only trade plastic
waste if it is clean, sorted and easy to recycle - unless
the importing country has granted an exemption. The
minister added how much illicit waste Malaysia had
succeeded in intercepting, and promised that shipping
companies or agents who broke Malaysia’s environment
DQG LPSRUW ODZV ZRXOG IDFH ´VWULFW DFWLRQµ TKH 8QLWHG
States, which produces more plastic waste per capita
than any other country, is the only major nation not to
who have supported the business over the years.“I
know the management and staff will make a valuable KDYH UDWLÀHG WKH %DVHO &RQYHQWLRQ +RZHYHU XQGHU WKH
treaty, Malaysia cannot accept prohibited plastic waste
contribution to the future of the business as part of the IURP WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV ,t had sent 267 containers of
%LIID *URXS µ/DVW PRQWK %LIID HQWHUHG LQWR DQ DJUHHPHQW illegal plastic waste back to their countries of origin
to acquire the collections business and certain recycling
DVVHWV IURP 9LULGRU :DVWH 0DQDJHPHQW IRU P P since 2019, and was in the process of returning 81 more.

Plastics News July 2021 30