E. Timor set to be first plastic-neutral nation

KUALA LUMPUR - In a region where seas sometimes are awash with trash, East Timor is set to become the world's first country to recycle all its plastic waste after it teamed up with Australian researchers on Friday to build a revolutionary recycling plant.

The $40-million plant will ensure that no plastic, once used in the Southeast Asian nation, would become waste, but would instead be turned into new products.

The government said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Australia's Mura Technology to establish a nonprofit called RESPECT that will run the plastic recycling plant, expected to launch by the end of 2020.