Cambodia to return 83 containers of plastic waste to US and Canada
(VOVWORLD) - Cambodia’s Ministry of the Environment on Wednesday announced that it will send back 1,600 tons of plastic waste found in 83 shipping containers in a main Cambodian port to the US and Canada.
 Cambodian officials checked the containers filled with plastic waste illegally shipped at Sihanoukville seaport on 17 July 2019. (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
Early on Tuesday, Cambodian officials detected the illegally shipped containers in the Sihanoukville seaport, 230 km southwest of Phnom Penh.
This is the second time a large volume of plastic waste has been detected in Cambodia after about 3,000 tons of toxic waste were left on the outskirts of Sihanoukville in 1998.
Spokesperson for Cambodia’s Ministry of the Environment Nerth Pheaktra said Cambodia is not a dustbin where foreign countries can dispose of their excess waste.
Up to 70 containers of plastic waste came from the US and 13 containers came from from Canada.
Images of containers filled with plastic waste were published on social networks and have aroused anger in the Cambodian public .