China's ban on imports of plastic waste is forcing other nations, including Japan and the United States, to scramble for new ways to deal with their trash, including exporting recyclable waste to Southeast Asia.
But instead of finding solutions, it appears the problem has only gotten worse, especially with the exploitation of developing countries, including Malaysia and Vietnam, that lack the regulatory infrastructure to prevent illegal dumping.
The ripple effects of developed nations being banned from shipping their scraps to China, previously the world's biggest importer of plastic waste for recycling, have also surfaced in Japan.