Malaysia's Halt on U.S. Plastic Waste Imports: Implications for California

Starting Tuesday, Malaysia will cease accepting plastic waste from the United States because the U.S. has not adhered to the Basel Convention, an international agreement regulating hazardous waste trading. This decision poses complex challenges, particularly for California.

Following China's 2018 prohibition on importing U.S. waste, Malaysia became a primary destination for such materials. In 2024 alone, California exported over 10 million pounds of plastic waste to Malaysia, as reported by the Basel Action Network. This volume was second only to Georgia within the United States.

Legislative Context and Impact

According to the newly enforced regulations, Malaysia will accept plastic waste only from countries that have ratified the Basel Convention. Shipments from these countries will undergo inspection prior to export.

Steve Wong, leading Fukutomi, a well-known global plastic reprocessing enterprise, indicates that the new policies are already affecting shipping operations. Ports are seeing their plastic inventories build up significantly, with Malaysia's pending changes freezing the market for imported plastics altogether.

California's Response and Challenges

The bulk of California’s plastic waste is typically sent outside U.S. borders. Although officials at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach posed no comment on the developments, the Oakland port noted little expected impact due to historically lower volume handling of these materials.

Global and Local Reactions

Jim Puckett from the Basel Action Network praised Malaysia's halt on imports, asserting that the reality of international recycling efforts has been largely a myth, where much of the non-recyclable waste ends up polluting either through burning or entering marine environments.

Data shows that California exported 11.3 million tons of recyclable resources in 2022 to countries like Malaysia, with the figures showing a notable specificity towards non-recyclable plastics.

CalRecycle’s spokesperson pointed out an ongoing state effort to address plastic pollution internally and globally, noting that the export of scrap plastics has visibly diminished in the last decade.

Strategic Shifts and Future Directions

The 2018 implementation of China's National Sword policy diverted much U.S. plastic waste to alternative destinations like Malaysia and Thailand. While some plastic processing occurs in these areas, much remains unresolved regarding environmental responsibilities.

Jan Dell of LastBeachCleanUp advocates for honoring Malaysia’s national jurisdiction by halting all plastic waste shipments completely and preventing further rerouting to vulnerable economies.

California's legislative response, through measures such as Senate Bill 54, aims to foster a sustainable cycle for plastic products, requiring verification that exported plastics truly undergo recycling processes and don’t contribute to environmental degradation.

Ultimately, CalRecycle is drafting regulations to ensure compliance with the new law, mandating that recycling occurs in an environmentally protective manner. These endeavors underscore the importance of adherence to responsible waste management practices.