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
      6·
      1 day ago

      You can it’s just expensive and requires additional fuel.

      It sometimes requires “reburning” the combustion exhaust at higher temperatures. But combustion can eventually break down the majority of molecules into something safe. And then if things still need to be removed from the exhaust, you can use processes similar to the catalytic converter in your car, but again, not cheap.

      • Maestro@fedia.io
        4·
        2 days ago

        Interesting, but it does sound like they are burning the general waste left over after splitting for recycling. I.e. not a lot of plastic.

        • Cocodapuf@lemmy.world
          2·
          1 day 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.