Malaysia Bans U.S. Plastic Waste, Impacting California Exports
July 17, 2025Malaysia has stopped accepting plastic waste from the U.S. and other countries that haven’t ratified the Basel Convention, an international treaty regulating hazardous waste. The move, effective this week, disrupts a major outlet for California, which sent over 10 million pounds of plastic waste to Malaysia in 2024.
After China’s 2018 import ban, Malaysia became a key destination for U.S. waste. Under new rules, only Basel signatories can export plastic waste to Malaysia—and only with pre-inspection at the origin.
Industry experts report growing stockpiles at ports and a slowdown in the global plastic waste market. California port officials say they were unaware of the ban or expect little local impact.