France has for the first time inflicted a €192,000 (£164,000) fine on a Gallic brokerage company for sending 20 containers of illegal plastic waste to Malaysia, which recently pledged to send back any unauthorised consignments to countries of origin, including Britain.

In an historic first, the French state slapped the fine on the company based in southern France, which it declined to name, after Malaysia refused to allow the waste into the southeast Asian country this summer and sent it back.

France’s ecological transition ministry said it traced the waste to the brokerage firm and imposed a punitive “administrative fine” before referring the company to judges.

“By inflicting this very heavy fine, France is sending a clear signal to certain brokers and their customers - recycling companies - to put a stop to such (illegal) practices,” the ministry told Le Parisien.

The fine came several months after Malaysia joined Indonesia and the Philippines in announcing its intention to return shipping containers of non-recyclable plastic waste or ones without the necessary permits.