Yes, Plastic Recycling Works — Here's the Full Picture
Released on: Wednesday, 14 May 2025 12:22PM
Mr CC Cheah, President, Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA)
PETALING JAYA, Selangor, May 14 (Bernama) -- We refer to the recent article titled "Recycling Plastic Does Not Work" (The Star, 11 May 2025) by Mangai Balasegaram. While we appreciate the growing concern around plastic pollution, we are compelled to respond to several inaccuracies and generalisations that risk misleading the public about both the plastic industry and the role of recycling in building a sustainable future.
The title itself — “Recycling plastic does not work” — is a sweeping and inaccurate statement that disregards progress, innovation, and the evolving science and infrastructure of plastic recycling. Malaysia has some of the largest and most advanced recycling operations in Southeast Asia, processing both locally sourced and imported industrial-grade plastic scrap into high-quality raw materials and supplying to global brands and companies across multiple sectors. Commonly used plastics such as PET (Type 1), HDPE (Type 2), and PP (Type 5) are being successfully recycled in the country through mechanical recycling. PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad’s advanced chemical recycling plant, expected to be operational by first half of 2026, will enable previously hard-to-recycle plastics to be transformed into new materials, giving them a second life through chemical recycling, further growing the local plastic recycling sector.
While it is true that polystyrene (Type 6) poses challenges due to low collection rates and contamination, it is not accurate to claim it is "not recyclable" or universally toxic. Intco Malaysia Sdn Bhd is one of the recyclers in Malaysia which recycles polystyrene, producing recycled polystyrene pellets for local and overseas market. Food-grade polystyrene meets international safety standards, just like any other food-grade packaging material. The issue lies in insufficient collection and sorting, not in inherent toxicity.
The article’s suggestion that “we can’t recycle our way out of this” presents a false difference of opinion. No serious stakeholder — including those in the plastic industry — views recycling as a silver bullet. However, recycling is a vital component in accelerating circularity to achieve plastic sustainability, and that includes product redesign, responsible consumption, better waste management, and expanded reuse models.
Malaysia’s plastic industry is not ignoring its responsibilities. Through our support of the Malaysia Plastics Sustainability Roadmap 2021-2030, Circular Economy Blueprint for Solid Waste in Malaysia 2025-2035 and Circular Economy Policy Framework for the Manufacturing Sector in Malaysia, we are investing in eco-design, promoting Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), and developing bio-based alternative materials. We are also strengthening public-private partnerships to improve the waste collection ecosystem nationwide.
The article also repeats an outdated claim that Malaysia is a “dumping ground” for the world’s plastic waste. In recent years, our government has imposed strict enforcement measures, customs screening, and licensing requirements to eliminate illegal imports. Most plastic imports today are legal, industrial-grade recyclables that support local manufacturers in producing export-grade materials — contributing to both the economy and circularity of materials. The industry will continue to work closely with the government to combat illegal imports.
Indeed, the plastic industry is a major economic pillar in Malaysia, with RM64.8 billion in sales and RM17.3 billion in exports recorded in 2024. The industry supports over 167,000 jobs and continues to innovate in areas such as lightweight automotive components and food packaging that are circular, recyclable and with lower environmental footprint compared to heavier alternatives like glass or metal.
Plastics, when responsibly managed and properly recycled, are essential to modern life. They help reduce food waste, preserve product hygiene, and lower transport emissions through lightweight design. Banning all plastics or drastically cutting production without economically, technically and environmentally-viable alternatives would bring unintended consequences, from increase in food waste, higher living costs to higher carbon emissions.
Rather than vilifying plastics, we must work together — industry, government, civil society, and consumers — to build a sustainable and circular plastics economy. The Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association remains committed to doing just that: reducing waste, enhancing recyclability, and driving innovation towards a cleaner, more resource-efficient Malaysia.
Let us move the conversation beyond blame, toward practical, science-based solutions.
About Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA)
The Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA), established in 1967, is a progressive trade association providing leadership and quality service to its members and the plastics industry. MPMA is a non-profit organisation that serves as the official voice of the Malaysian plastics industry, representing its members and the industry in Government interaction, spearheading the plastics industry’s growth by providing the platforms to assist members to be globally competitive.
MPMA’s current emphasis, inter alia, is to upgrade the technological level of the plastics industry by providing higher technical skills for members, in particular, on Industry 4.0. In all aspects of its activities, MPMA places special attention to its social responsibility towards the environment, by promoting sustainability practices for the protection of the environment and the community.
MPMA currently has about 800 members, which represent about 60 percent of the plastics manufacturers in the country and account for 80 percent of the country’s total production of plastics products.
SOURCE: Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA)
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: Ms Crystal Cheah
Tel: +03 7876 3027
Email: crystal@mpma.org.my
Website: http://mpma.org.my/
--BERNAMA
The title itself — “Recycling plastic does not work” — is a sweeping and inaccurate statement that disregards progress, innovation, and the evolving science and infrastructure of plastic recycling. Malaysia has some of the largest and most advanced recycling operations in Southeast Asia, processing both locally sourced and imported industrial-grade plastic scrap into high-quality raw materials and supplying to global brands and companies across multiple sectors. Commonly used plastics such as PET (Type 1), HDPE (Type 2), and PP (Type 5) are being successfully recycled in the country through mechanical recycling. PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad’s advanced chemical recycling plant, expected to be operational by first half of 2026, will enable previously hard-to-recycle plastics to be transformed into new materials, giving them a second life through chemical recycling, further growing the local plastic recycling sector.
While it is true that polystyrene (Type 6) poses challenges due to low collection rates and contamination, it is not accurate to claim it is "not recyclable" or universally toxic. Intco Malaysia Sdn Bhd is one of the recyclers in Malaysia which recycles polystyrene, producing recycled polystyrene pellets for local and overseas market. Food-grade polystyrene meets international safety standards, just like any other food-grade packaging material. The issue lies in insufficient collection and sorting, not in inherent toxicity.
The article’s suggestion that “we can’t recycle our way out of this” presents a false difference of opinion. No serious stakeholder — including those in the plastic industry — views recycling as a silver bullet. However, recycling is a vital component in accelerating circularity to achieve plastic sustainability, and that includes product redesign, responsible consumption, better waste management, and expanded reuse models.
Malaysia’s plastic industry is not ignoring its responsibilities. Through our support of the Malaysia Plastics Sustainability Roadmap 2021-2030, Circular Economy Blueprint for Solid Waste in Malaysia 2025-2035 and Circular Economy Policy Framework for the Manufacturing Sector in Malaysia, we are investing in eco-design, promoting Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), and developing bio-based alternative materials. We are also strengthening public-private partnerships to improve the waste collection ecosystem nationwide.
The article also repeats an outdated claim that Malaysia is a “dumping ground” for the world’s plastic waste. In recent years, our government has imposed strict enforcement measures, customs screening, and licensing requirements to eliminate illegal imports. Most plastic imports today are legal, industrial-grade recyclables that support local manufacturers in producing export-grade materials — contributing to both the economy and circularity of materials. The industry will continue to work closely with the government to combat illegal imports.
Indeed, the plastic industry is a major economic pillar in Malaysia, with RM64.8 billion in sales and RM17.3 billion in exports recorded in 2024. The industry supports over 167,000 jobs and continues to innovate in areas such as lightweight automotive components and food packaging that are circular, recyclable and with lower environmental footprint compared to heavier alternatives like glass or metal.
Plastics, when responsibly managed and properly recycled, are essential to modern life. They help reduce food waste, preserve product hygiene, and lower transport emissions through lightweight design. Banning all plastics or drastically cutting production without economically, technically and environmentally-viable alternatives would bring unintended consequences, from increase in food waste, higher living costs to higher carbon emissions.
Rather than vilifying plastics, we must work together — industry, government, civil society, and consumers — to build a sustainable and circular plastics economy. The Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association remains committed to doing just that: reducing waste, enhancing recyclability, and driving innovation towards a cleaner, more resource-efficient Malaysia.
Let us move the conversation beyond blame, toward practical, science-based solutions.
About Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA)
The Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA), established in 1967, is a progressive trade association providing leadership and quality service to its members and the plastics industry. MPMA is a non-profit organisation that serves as the official voice of the Malaysian plastics industry, representing its members and the industry in Government interaction, spearheading the plastics industry’s growth by providing the platforms to assist members to be globally competitive.
MPMA’s current emphasis, inter alia, is to upgrade the technological level of the plastics industry by providing higher technical skills for members, in particular, on Industry 4.0. In all aspects of its activities, MPMA places special attention to its social responsibility towards the environment, by promoting sustainability practices for the protection of the environment and the community.
MPMA currently has about 800 members, which represent about 60 percent of the plastics manufacturers in the country and account for 80 percent of the country’s total production of plastics products.
SOURCE: Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA)
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: Ms Crystal Cheah
Tel: +03 7876 3027
Email: crystal@mpma.org.my
Website: http://mpma.org.my/
--BERNAMA