GEORGE TOWN: Penang is doing all it can to get the almost 400 containers packed with municipal plastic rubbish from foreign countries sent back. But the going is slow.Only 10 out of the 397 containers filled with plastic waste at North Butterworth Container Terminal (NBCT) have been sent back to their countries of origin since they were discovered last year.
State Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said the 10 were sent back to Hong Kong, Japan and Germany by the National Solid Waste Management Department.
Yesterday, a shipping company emailed Phee, offering to send three more waste-filled containers back to Hong Kong, Japan and Germany.
But there are still 384 containers clogging up NBCT.
Phee said his next targets were 42 containers from Britain, and British representatives who went to view them expressed shock that so much rubbish from their country was sent here.
“We opened the containers to show them. They were shocked to see what the company sent to our port.
“They will bring back all the documents pertaining to the containers and promised to take back the containers after getting approval,” he said.
Phee added that the state was in discussion with shipping companies and other countries to return the remaining containers.
Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) chief executive officer Sasedharan Vasudevan said the abandoned containers could pose a serious problem as they were taking up valuable space that could be used by other customers.
If the situation goes on, it can create congestion at NBCT.
“At the moment, although it is still not critical, it can cause problems for us,” he said.
Sasedharan said almost 300 of the containers were sitting on NBCT grounds now while the rest were at the Customs Department premises.
State Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said the 10 were sent back to Hong Kong, Japan and Germany by the National Solid Waste Management Department.
Yesterday, a shipping company emailed Phee, offering to send three more waste-filled containers back to Hong Kong, Japan and Germany.
But there are still 384 containers clogging up NBCT.
Phee said his next targets were 42 containers from Britain, and British representatives who went to view them expressed shock that so much rubbish from their country was sent here.
“We opened the containers to show them. They were shocked to see what the company sent to our port.
“They will bring back all the documents pertaining to the containers and promised to take back the containers after getting approval,” he said.
Phee added that the state was in discussion with shipping companies and other countries to return the remaining containers.
Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) chief executive officer Sasedharan Vasudevan said the abandoned containers could pose a serious problem as they were taking up valuable space that could be used by other customers.
If the situation goes on, it can create congestion at NBCT.
“At the moment, although it is still not critical, it can cause problems for us,” he said.
Sasedharan said almost 300 of the containers were sitting on NBCT grounds now while the rest were at the Customs Department premises.
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