Malaysia emerged as a major destination for U.S. waste after China banned U.S. waste imports in 2018.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/42447832

Malaysia emerged as a major destination for U.S. waste after China banned U.S. waste imports in 2018.

Archived version: https://archive.is/20250626132109/https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-06-26/malaysia-bans-us-plastic-waste-what-will-california-do

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  • Cocodapuf@lemmy.world
    2·
    18 hours ago

    Well they’re splitting recycling, but plastic, generally speaking is not recyclable. So it’s the paper and metals that are being split off, the plastic goes in with everything else.

    There are some plastics that are theoretically recyclable, but even that isn’t really recycling is down-cycling turning a plastic into an interior plastic that isn’t recyclable at all. Or repurposing and reusing a plastic, perhaps as pillow stuffing or melting it down with other things to make road paving material.

    But the life of plastic is never a cycle, it’s a path that can sometimes be extended a bit.