This city hides a terrible secret: it is the garbage can of the world

Plastic pollution. In Malaysia, there is a city that is literally suffocated by plastic waste. There is talk of 17 thousand tons of garbage that spread a nauseating and toxic smell in the environment.

He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

Plastic pollution. In Malaysia, there is a city that is literally suffocated by plastic waste. There is talk of 17 thousand tons of garbage that spread a nauseating and toxic smell in the environment.





You probably don't know, but Malaysia has become in recent years one of the largest plastic landfills in the world, this is because it imports waste from different countries (including Europeans), obviously for economic purposes. We speak in particular of Jenjarom, a city that lately is synonymous with garbage.

Illegal recycling factories burn plastic in several areas and in great secrecy but the smell, punctual as a clock, every night wakes up the unfortunate citizens who are forced to breathe it.

As the BBC tells in a report, the smell that spreads around the Malaysian city tastes like burnt rubber, is acrid and stings the lungs.

But how did it come to this point? China's fault (so to speak!) It is since 2017 when this country banned the import of plastic from abroad that a big problem was created, especially for the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom who at that point did not know more where to put the tons of plastic waste they produce each year.

Here then is that Malaysia tries to seize this opportunity by not caring about the environment and thinking rather of the great economic opportunity. To catch the ball is the city of Jenjarom, close to the port of Port Klang, the largest in Malaysia, today the entry point for most of the plastic.

This city hides a terrible secret: it is the garbage can of the world

The numbers of plastic waste in Malaysia and the consequences for citizens

From January to July 2018 alone, about 754 tons of plastic waste imported into the country and flock to illegal plastic recycling factories that have sniffed the opportunity.

The State Council, in the district of Kuala Langat (the one to which the city of Jenjarom belongs) has identified 33 illegal factories, some close to palm oil plantations and others closer to the town.



Plastic waste is typically recycled into pellets, which are plastic granules of various shapes that can then be used to produce other types of plastic. Unfortunately, not all plastic can be recycled and this is where illegal recycling plants come into play.

Instead of sending the non-recyclable plastic to the appropriate collection centers, which obviously cost a lot, these plants burn it or bury it.

This city hides a terrible secret: it is the garbage can of the world This city hides a terrible secret: it is the garbage can of the world

The residents did not realize the situation immediately but only after some time when it worsened and began to notice, in addition to persistent odors that prevented them from sleeping, also heavy symptoms such as persistent cough (even with clots of blood), burning eyes, rashes and more.

A slow but constant poisoning is basically what the inhabitants of the area are subjected to, forced to breathe carcinogenic compounds and often unaware or otherwise powerless in the face of this situation.

In fact, too many people are unaware of what is happening and the potential side effects.

The video you can see below shows the tragic plastics waste situation Malaysia is experiencing and how local activists are fighting for the right to their health and an unpolluted environment.

What can the solution be?

The Malaysian government has already closed the 33 illegal factories in Jenjarom and is trying to identify the various landowners who allowed their creation. In this way most of the toxic fumes have disappeared. However, the plastic problem is far from being solved.

The 17 thousand tons of garbage are in fact still there and in particular there is a site that alone contains 4 thousand tons, a place where, paradoxically, anyone can start walking.


In short, a mountain of garbage that is equivalent to almost double the weight of the Eiffel Tower.


This city hides a terrible secret: it is the garbage can of the world

What will Malaysia do with all this plastic? There are several options. The most profitable would be to send it to a cement plant that would burn the plastic to create heat. However, a costly solution for the government that should carry it far.

In short, where all this garbage will end up is not clear. The problem is much wider given that factories could "resurrect" in other cities of Malaysia.

This city hides a terrible secret: it is the garbage can of the world

The only possible solution seems to be to ban the use of this material in its entirety (which is very unlikely to happen) or at least to define more stringent regulations on the import of plastic into Malaysia.

Read also:

  • Transforming tons of plastic waste into low-polluting gasoline and diesel is now possible (and without incinerating).
  • Shock plastic: 10 National Geographic images everyone should see (besides the cover)
  • Henderson Island, a lost paradise submerged in plastic (PHOTO AND VIDEO)

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