SUNGAI PETANI: The Housing and Local Government Ministry has not approved any plastic waste import licence (AP) to any company since it was frozen in July last year.
Its minister Zuraida Kamaruddin (pic) said even though the ministry had set a three-month moratorium on issuing plastic waste AP, it had yet to issue any approval to date to ensure the new procedures set by the ministry would be complied with by the industry.
“Before this, there were 114 companies holding plastic waste AP but only 54 were active.
“Of the total, only eight really complied with the conditions stipulated. Now all of them have to reapply according to the new procedures and conditions.
“After the AP application was reopened, only 19 companies applied and the ministry will study whether the 19 companies are eligible to be issued plastic waste AP,” she told reporters after a raid on a factory allegedly recycling plastic waste in Sungai Petani Industrial Area here last night.
She called on all illegal plastic waste recycling factories to stop their operation until they obtained their licence.
In July last year, the ministry announced freezing plastic waste AP following serious incidents of pollution in Kuala Langat, Selangor from illegal factories processing imported plastic waste. – Bernama
