GRASSROOT INNOVATIONS

From grassroots investigation to treaty advocacy: the evolution of plastic waste trade activism in Malaysia

  • Hazim Ismail - Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Canada

Released under All rights reserved

Copyright: © 2026 CISA Publisher


References

Ananthalakshmi, A., & Chow, E. (2019, May 21). Malaysia, flooded with plastic waste, to send back some scrap to source. Reuters

A.P. Moller–Maersk. (2023, February 28). Reinforcement of plastic waste/scrap ban (import into Malaysia). Maersk. https://www.maersk.com/news/articles/2023/02/28/reinforcement-of-plastic-waste

Associated Press. (2020, January 20). Malaysia returns trash, says it won’t be the world’s waste bin. PBS NewsHour

Basel Action Network. (2026). U.S. export data: Latest monthly data. Retrieved September 19, 2026, from https://www.ban.org/plastic-waste-project-hub/trade-data/usa-export-data

Benford, R. D., & Snow, D. A. (2000). Framing processes and social movements: An overview and assessment. Annual Review of Sociology, 26, 611–639.
DOI 10.1146/annurev.soc.26.1.611

Bengali, S. (2018, December 29). How mountains of U.S. plastic waste ended up in Malaysia, broken down by workers for $10 a day. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-malaysia-plastic-2018-story.html

Bernama. (2024, October 17). Ministry preparing list to phase out problematic single-use plastics, says Nik Nazmi. The Star. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/10/17/ministry-preparing-list-to-phase-out-problematic-single-use-plastics-says-nik-nazm

Bernama. (2026, January 16). SPRM cadang moratorium enam bulan terhadap import sisa plastik, e-sisa. Astro Awani. https://www.astroawani.com/berita-malaysia/sprm-cadang-moratorium-enam-bulan-terhadap-import-sisa-plastik-esisa-555704

Bobel, C. (2007). ‘I’m not an activist, though I’ve done a lot of it’: Doing Activism, Being Activist and the ‘Perfect Standard’ in a Contemporary Movement. Social Movement Studies, 6, 147 - 159.
DOI 10.1080/14742830701497277

Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27–40.
DOI 10.3316/QRJ0902027

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
DOI 10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Cabrera, N. L., Matias, C. E., & Montoya, R. (2017). Activism or Slacktivism? The Potential and Pitfalls of Social Media in Contemporary Student Activism. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 10, 400–415.
DOI 10.1037/dhe0000061

Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism. (2021). Malaysia is not a “garbage dump”: Citizens against corruption, complacency, crime, and climate crisis (2nd ed.). C4 Center

Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism. (2021). Malaysia is not a “garbage dump”: Citizens against corruption, complacency, crime, and climate crisis (2nd ed.). C4 Center

Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism. (2025, July 23). Handing of memorandum calling for leadership and ambition at upcoming Global Plastics Treaty negotiations to MPs at Parliament. https://c4center.org/handing-of-memorandum-calling-for-leadership-and-ambition-at-upcoming-global-plastics-treaty-negotiations-to-mps-at-parliament/

Chen, H.-L., Nath, T. K., Chong, S., Foo, V., Gibbins, C., & Lechner, A. M. (2021). The plastic waste problem in Malaysia: Management, recycling and disposal of local and global plastic waste. SN Applied Sciences, 3(4), Article 437.
DOI 10.1007/s42452-021-04234-y

Chu, M. M., & Ananthalakshmi, A. (2021, April 6). Malaysia sends back over 300 containers of illicit plastic waste. Reuters

Coley, J. S., & Schachle-Gordon, J. L. (2025). Occupational Activism: Conceptual Distinctions and Theoretical Frameworks. Work and Occupations, 53, 3 - 24.
DOI 10.1177/07308884251398006

Consumers’ Association of Penang. (2024, October 23). The dark side of plastic and unearthing real solutions. https://consumer.org.my/the-dark-side-of-plastic-and-unearthing-real-solutions/

Corning, A. F., & Myers, D. J. (2002). Individual orientation toward engagement in social action. Political Psychology, 23(4), 703–729.
DOI 10.1111/0162-895X.00304

Danowitz, E. (2023). They Keep Quiet So We Make Noise. Educational Media Reviews Online.
DOI 10.59236/emro.v25i11a8091

Dauvergne, P., & Islam, S. (2023). The politics of anti-plastics activism in Indonesia and Malaysia. Cambridge Prisms: Plastics, 1, e7.
DOI 10.1017/plc.2023.6

della Porta, D., & Diani, M. (2020). Social movements: An introduction (3rd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell

Demarest, L., & Langer, A. (2022). How events enter (or not) data sets: The pitfalls and guidelines of using newspapers in the study of conflict. Sociological Methods & Research, 51(2), 843–880.
DOI 10.1177/0049124119882453

Dono, J., Webb, J., & Richardson, B. (2010). The relationship between environmental activism, pro-environmental behaviour and social identity. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 30(2), 178–186.
DOI 10.1016/j.jenvp.2009.11.006

Earl, J., Martin, A., McCarthy, J. D., & Soule, S. A. (2004). The use of newspaper data in the study of collective action. Annual Review of Sociology, 30, 65–80.
DOI 10.1146/annurev.soc.30.012703.110603

Greenpeace Malaysia. (2025, August 14). Malaysia’s support of the Global Plastics Treaty at INC5.2. Greenpeace. https://www.greenpeace.org/malaysia/press/62794/malaysias-support-of-the-global-plastics-treaty-at-inc5-2/

Greenpeace Malaysia. (2024, April 4). 8 in 10 people in Malaysia support Global Plastics Treaty to cut plastic production. Greenpeace. https://www.greenpeace.org/malaysia/press/52619/8-in-10-people-in-malaysia-support-global-plastics-treaty-to-cut-plastic-production/

Greenpeace Malaysia. (2020, May 27). The recycling myth 2.0: The toxic after-effects of imported plastic waste in Malaysia. https://www.greenpeace.org/malaysia/report/3349/the-recycling-myth-2-0/

Greenpeace Malaysia. (2018, November 27). “Recycling” from developed world dumped in Malaysia and left to rot. Greenpeace

Goh, S. L., Yap, K. S., Neo, E. R. K., Koo, C. W., Madhavan, U., Suwandi, N. A., ... & Tan, D. Z. L. (2025). Life cycle assessment of plastic waste end-of-life scenarios in South and South East Asia. Waste Management, 200, 114760

Gomes, V., & Tan, Z. Y. (2025, January 6). Waste: Malaysia’s plastic problem in the spotlight. The Edge Malaysia

Gunia, A. (2019, May 28). Malaysia will send back plastic waste to rich countries that shipped it, environment minister says. Time. TIME article

Kirsop-Taylor, N. A., Russel, D., & Jensen, A. (2023). A typology of the climate activist. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 10, 1-7.
DOI 10.1057/s41599-023-02398-z

Latiff, R. (2026, February 5). Malaysia imposes ban on e-waste imports. Reuters

Hisham, M. B. B., & Ling, H. H. (2025). Pembangunan Kampung Baru di Selangor di bawah Dasar Ekonomi Baru (DEB), 1970–1990. SEJARAH: Journal of the Department of History, 34(1)

Heng, K. C. (2019, April 18). After ‘The Recycling Myth’ report: Updates from the field. Greenpeace Malaysia

King, S. (2025, August 21). Still no Plastics Treaty: How the fossil fuel industry keeps polluting negotiations. Greenpeace Malaysia. https://www.greenpeace.org/malaysia/story/62808/still-no-plastics-treaty-how-the-fossil-fuel-industry-keeps-polluting-negotiations/

Koopman, J. (2021). The restoration of gotong royong as a form of post-disaster solidarity in Lombok, Indonesia. South East Asia Research, 29, 279 - 296.
DOI 10.1080/0967828x.2021.1966318

Latiff, R., & Harris, E. (2019, May 28). Malaysia to send 3,000 tonnes of plastic waste back to countries of origin. Reuters. Reuters

Lee, R. (2025, July 23). Civil groups urge binding global limits on plastic production. Free Malaysia Today. https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/07/23/civil-groups-urge-binding-global-limits-on-plastic-production

Liu, F. H., Ganesan, V., & Smith, T. E. (2020). Contrasting communications of sustainability science in the media coverage of palm oil agriculture on tropical peatlands in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Environmental Science & Policy, 114, 162-169

Malhi, A. (2021). Race, space, and the Malayan Emergency: Expelling Malay Muslim communism and reconstituting Malaya’s racial state, 1945–1954. Itinerario, 45(3), 435–459.
DOI 10.1017/S0165115321000279

Mathias, J. (2026). Activists aren’t defined by motion, but by motives. Anthropological Theory.
DOI 10.21428/4566d66c.f099ebd1

Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry. (2025, July 1). Malaysia adheres to Basel Convention for plastic waste imports; SIRIM to issue Certificate of Approval (COA) for waste plastic effective 1 July 2025. Government of Malaysia

Neumayer, C., & Svensson, J. (2016). Activism and radical politics in the digital age. Convergence, 22, 131 - 146.
DOI 10.1177/1354856514553395

Oanh, N. T. K., Thiemjarat, C., Mekwichai, P., Hang, N. T., Permadi, D. A., Chow, J. C., & Vinh, T. H. (2025). Characterization and quantification of atmospheric emissions of dioxins, dl-PCBs and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from municipal solid waste open burning in Southeast Asia. Waste Management, 201, 114779.
DOI 10.1016/j.wasman.2025.114779

Ong, S. W., & Diong, F. W. (2023). Malaysia’s media framing of plastic pollution: The case of imported plastic waste. Environmental Communication, 17(7), 689–700.
DOI 10.1080/17524032.2023.2244187

Otsuka, K., & Skrobe, M. (2019, November 27). Where does your recycling go? School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, University of Washington. https://smea.uw.edu/currents/where-does-your-recycling-go

Parker, L. (2018, November 16). China’s ban on trash imports shifts waste crisis to Southeast Asia. National Geographic

Reza, M. M., & Islam, M. R. (2026). Silent struggles for well-being: Unraveling the hidden plight of Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia. Southeast Asia: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 26(1), 3–16.
DOI 10.1108/SEAMJ-09-2024-0068

Rosengren, C., & Pyzyk, K. (2018, November 1). Malaysia to end plastic imports within three years. Waste Dive

Sahabat Alam Malaysia. (2022, June 28). Groups urge the second largest shipping company in the world to stop shipping plastic waste. Sahabat Alam Malaysia

Sahabat Alam Malaysia. (2020, February 3). Lynas waste site-Need for transparency and public consultation. https://foe-malaysia.org/articles/lynas-waste-site-need-for-transparency-and-public-consultation/

Snow, D. A., Soule, S. A., & Kriesi, H. (2004). Mapping the terrain. In D. A. Snow, S. A. Soule, & H. Kriesi (Eds.), The Blackwell companion to social movements (pp. 3–16). Blackwell Publishing.
DOI 10.1002/9780470999103.ch1

Stern, P. C. (2000). Toward a coherent theory of environmentally significant behavior. Journal of Social Issues, 56(3), 407–424.
DOI 10.1111/0022-4537.00175

Suwignyo, A. (2019). Gotong royong as social citizenship in Indonesia, 1940s to 1990s. Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 50, 387 - 408.
DOI 10.1017/s0022463419000407

Tan, Y. (2019, February 12). Plastic pollution: One town smothered by 17,000 tonnes of rubbish. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-46518747

Tarrow, S. G. (2011). Power in movement: Social movements and contentious politics (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
DOI 10.1017/CBO9780511973529

Thomas, E. F., & McGarty, C. (2017). Giving versus acting: Using latent profile analysis to distinguish between benevolent and activist support for global poverty reduction. British Journal of Social Psychology, 57, 189–209.
DOI 10.1111/bjso.12228

Tilly, C., & Wood, L. J. (2013). Social movements, 1768–2012 (3rd ed.). Paradigm Publishers

Wahab, S. N., & Lim, F. Y. J. (2022). China’s National Sword Policy reaction to Southeast Asia’s waste trade and the transition to a circular economy. Journal of Technology and Operations Management, 17(1), 1–10.
DOI 10.32890/jtom2022.17.1.1

Wang, E., Miao, C., & Chen, X. (2022). Circular economy and the changing geography of international trade in plastic waste. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(22), Article 15020.
DOI 10.3390/ijerph192215020

Winn, P. (2019, June 13). America’s grungy “recycled” plastic is creating wastelands in Asia. Center for Public Integrity. https://publicintegrity.org/environment/pollution/pushing-plastic/americas-grungy-recycled-plastic-is-creating-wastelands-in-asia/

Wong, F. H. C. (2026). Not all protests are created equal to be news: Does mobile digital connectivity level the playing field in the hybrid media system? The International Journal of Press/Politics, 31(1), 28–49.
DOI 10.1177/19401612241285785

World Bank. (2025). Plastic circularity in Malaysia: A market assessment of the plastics value chain. World Bank

Yuhertiana, I., Zakaria, M., Suhartini, D., & Sukiswo, H. (2022). Cooperative Resilience during the Pandemic: Indonesia and Malaysia Evidence. Sustainability.
DOI 10.3390/su14105839

World Bank. (n.d.). World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS): Malaysia imports of waste, parings and scrap, of polymers of ethylene (HS 391510), 2024 [Data set]. Retrieved September 17, 2026, from World Integrated Trade Solution

Zulkefli, N. (2019, March 21). Small town, one big dumpsite for plastic waste. The Malaysian Insight. https://www.themalaysianinsight.com/g/141921