Personal stories from the international front lines of the broken plastic waste trade.
Greenpeace announces the speaking tour of two Malaysian activists who’ve discovered plastic waste from high-income countries being dumped in their backyard.
Malaysia has become one of the new destinations for plastic waste since China put a ban on the trade at the start of this year.
A Greenpeace investigation has revealed evidence of ‘recyclable’ plastic waste from around the world is being dumped, buried and burnt at illegal sites – negatively impacting the health of the local communities in Malaysia.
New Zealand has been named as one of the sources for exported plastic that’s ending up in these illegal sites.
Last year, New Zealand sent 6,000 tonnes of plastic waste to Malaysia. In the first six months of this year, another 6,000 was shipped out. (Statistics NZ)
To bring this issue home, Greenpeace New Zealand is hosting a three-city speaking tour from the 5th – 12th of December, with Heng Kiah Chun, a Public Engagement Campaigner from Greenpeace Malaysia, and Lay Peng Pua, a community activist from Jenjarom who lives next to some of these illegal sites.
They will be speaking in Wellington (Wed 5th Dec), Christchurch (Thurs 6th Dec), and Auckland (Mon 10th Dec).
Lay and Heng will also be meeting with politicians and active groups working on plastic pollution issues.
ENDS
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