East Java is littered with waste that is smuggled illegally from many countries around the world. Residents of Malaysian villages began to use plastic trash as fuel in the manufacture of tofu bean curd.
Such an illegal method of “recycling” arose against the background of the garbage crisis in Southeast Asia and Australia. In 2018, China banned the import of plastic waste, and the main stream of garbage from Australia, USA, UK, Spain, Canada and other countries was sent to Malaysia.
But the used plastic is not recycled as planned, but mostly burned in violation of all environmental regulations.
Villages in the East Java region are inundated with rubbish, news agencies report. Locals dry the waste, and then use it as a fuel in the manufacture of tofu – a product that is an important part of the daily diet in Southeast Asia. Ten years ago wood was burned in furnaces, and it was much more expensive.
Making tofu “on the garbage” has become the main source of income for the local population. Local farmers even refused to grow rice as a more expensive and time-consuming occupation.
Environmental organizations claim that plastic waste is smuggled into the region. The local population also begins to protest because of the unbearable smell and harm to health. In June, the government announced that Malaysia intends to return all containers with garbage to their countries of origin if supplies were made with violations. Earlier, the neighboring Philippines took this step.