People walk through plastic waste piled outside an illegal recycling factory in Jenjarom in Kuala Langat district, Malaysia. (Photo: Reuters)
Hanoi (VNA) – Malaysia is making plans to ship Canadiantrash back after denouncing Canada’s “irresponsible” export of plastic waste.
With the act, it is the second Asian nation after the Philippines to do so.
On 🐬May 27, Malaysian officials opened a shipping container filledwith plastic bags from major Canadian chains, as well as product packagingstamped with "Made in Canada" labels from recognizabl🅺e brands.
Authorities did not identify which company exported the plasticfrom Canada. But they said it will be returned to that exporter after itwas deemed to be too contaminated and of insufficient value for legitimaterecyclers in Malaysia to take it in.
Malaysian Environment Minister Yeo Bee Yin said he hopesCanadians will be angry when they know the case as it’s “household garbage”.
He🐼 said Malaysia and many developing countries have become newtargets after China banned the import of plastic waste for recycling in 2017.
On May 26, thePhilippines banned all government trips to Canada, highlighting the SoutheastAsian country’s diminished interaction with Canada in the face of a garbageissue.
In 2013 and 2014, aCanadian company sent to the Philippines 103 containers labeled as plastics forrecycling. However, an inspection of the Philippines Bureau of Customs foundthat the containers were filled with different types of waste, includinghousehold trash, diapers, newspapers and plastic bottles.
Earlier this month,Manila asked Ottawa to take back the g🎉arbage before May 15, but the Canadiangovernment missed the deadline, making🎉 the Philippines take tough diplomaticactions.-VNA
Many experts have raised concerns about the import of thousands of containers of plastic, and proposed raising fees for importing plastic waste to Vietnam and then using it as materials.
The Thai Cabinet has approved a roadmap to tackle plastic waste in the years 2018-2030 to reduce the use of plastic and end the use of certain types of plastic because of its increasing harm to the environment.
An ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) workshop on the management of marine plastic pollution opened in Nha Trang, in the central province of Khanh Hoa, on May 13.
A seminar was held by the Vietnam Institute of Seas and Islands under the Vietnam Administration of Seas and Islands (VASI) on May 24 to share experience in managing and proposing contents for the national action plan on ocean plastic waste management to 2030.
Malaysia will send 3,000 tonnes of plastic waste back to the countries it originated from, said Minister of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment, and Climate Change Yeo Bee Yin.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
Efforts to empower women must transcend dialogue and translate into concrete commitments, including corporate pledges and government partnerships, according to the spouse of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The forum featured two in-depth discussion sessions, engaging representatives from governments, think tanks, and businesses from both ASEAN and China, on how to forge closer ties for a common future.
The new FIFA Hub in Jakarta will not only support football development in Indonesia but also serve as a coordination centre for 21 football associations across Southeast and East Asia.
Minister Counselor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen reaffirmed Vietnam’s principled and consistent stance on the Palestine issue, calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire across the entire Gaza Strip.
PM Anwar Ibrahim affirmed the determination of Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair for 2025, to utilise all viable regional mechanisms of the bloc and work with partners to de-escalate violence and restore a peace process led by Myanmar.
Talking to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Vietnam’s Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925–2025), Nikulina, who is also a veteran journalist of Russia’s Sputnik News, emphasised the vital role of mainstream journalism in defending the truth and maintaining public trust.
The Ministry of Commerce reported that imports also rose 18% to 29.9 billion USD during the same period, resulting in a trade surplus of 1.1 billion USD. In May alone, Thailand posted a 4.6 billion USD trade surplus with the US and a 4.1 billion USD trade deficit with China.
The World Bank will provide a 2.1 billion USD financing package for Indonesia, focusing oncreating jobs, stimulating economic growth, and enhancing access to clean energy across the country.
Member states also reviewed progress on six priority areas for 2025, including the development of an underground cable framework, the follow-up agreement to the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement (APSA), the launch of the ASEAN Energy Efficiency Database, and the rollout of an investment platform for sustainable building initiatives.
In March, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra met with Formula 1 chief Stefano Domenicali and said Thailand would commission a feasibility study into hosting a Grand Prix on a Bangkok street circuit from 2028.
The proposed giant sea wall aligns with bilateral cooperation and has been designated a national priority, considering that several regions in Indonesia are experiencing land subsidence of 10–15 centimetres per year.
International flights were cancelled including Jetstar and Virgin Australia flights to cities across Australia, and flights of Air India, Air New Zealand, Singapore's TigerAir and China's Juneyao Airlines.
The partnership aims to strengthen collaboration in the exploration and exploitation of mineral resources, including gold, copper, and manganese, as well as in the development of steel, aluminum, and renewable energy industries.
The Thai cabinet has approved a seven-year EV bus leasing scheme proposed by the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) for the capital, with an estimated cost of 15.35 billion THB (over 470 million USD).
People walk through plastic waste piled outside an illegal recycling factory in Jenjarom in Kuala Langat district, Malaysia. (Photo: Reuters) 
