Canada flatly refused to accept plastic waste from Malaysia.

"There are no plans for the Canadian government to receive the waste in Malaysia," said Gabrielle Lamontagne, spokesperson for the Canadian Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, in a statement on June 13. Lamontagne said there was no indication that the plastic waste originated in Canada and that the ministry had contacted the Malaysian government for further details.

The Malaysian government announced in late May that it would return 3,000 tons of plastic waste to 14 developed countries, including Canada, the United States, Japan, France, Australia, and the United Kingdom. "Developed countries have a responsibility to what they have shipped," said Malaysian Minister of Energy, Technology, Science, Climate Change and Environment Yeo Bee Yin on May 21st.

Ms. Yeo stated that many types of plastic waste shipped to Malaysia violate the Basel Convention – the United Nations treaty on the trade and disposal of plastic waste. Last year, the Southeast Asian nation became a top destination for plastic waste after China banned imports of this material, disrupting the flow of more than 7 million tons of plastic waste annually.

Plastic waste from overseas, especially non-recyclable plastic, has recently become a major issue in several Southeast Asian countries. In May, the Philippines withdrew its diplomatic staff from Canada after Ottawa refused to take back dozens of containers of plastic waste shipped to the country. The Canadian government subsequently relented, agreeing to allow the Philippines to ship the waste by sea to Canadian ports.

Earlier this week, Canada announced plans to ban certain single-use plastics such as straws, bags, and cutlery by early 2021 to reduce non-recyclable waste and protect the oceans.