PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia’s government has fined a local company that imported almost seven dozen shipping containers of plastic waste from the United States and Canada, and warned that if the waste is not sent back to its countries of origin before Aug. 24, the company will face criminal charges.
The head of Cambodia’s customs department said Tuesday that Chungyuen Plastic Manufacture Co. has been ordered to pay a fine of nearly $260,000. He said the company owner has promised to ship the waste back from the port of Sihanoukville before the deadline, and will be brought to court if he fails to do so.
The cross-border disposal of waste became a major regional issue after China, previously its main destination, barred imports of almost all foreign plastic waste last year.
