THE amount of solid waste, in particular food waste, collected by the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) during Ramadan is increasing every year.

Deputy Local Government Development Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said 252,521 tonnes of solid waste was collected during Ramadan last year compared to 208,143 tonnes in 2019.

“The amount increases every year and in the past five years, we have seen an increase of up to 21%. From the ministry’s point of view, the first step is to reduce the amount of food waste.

“Based on data provided, a total of 44.5% of solid waste collected is food waste and that number is quite substantial in terms of value,” he told a press conference after opening the Johor SWM Environment Operations in conjunction with the 2023 Aidilfitri last night.

Also present were Johor Housing and Local Government Committee chairman Mohd Jafni Md Shukor, SWCorp chief executive officer Ismail Mokhtar and SWM Environment general manager Mohd Norlisam Mohd Nordin.

Norlisam said a total of 4,475 SWM Environment workers, with 588 machines comprising compactor trucks, open tipper lorries, and Roll-On-Roll-off (Roro) trucks, will be on duty during Hari Raya.

“The operation will focus on solid waste collection, especially in 150 areas, including those with high   Muslim populations, city centres and main roads,” he said and advised residents not to place any obstacles along the path of the compactor truck, including the area near the location of waste bins to ensure the smooth operation of domestic waste collection. – Bernama, April 10, 2023.