MALAYSIA needs to develop domestic recycling industries to properly manage waste, the Penang government said 

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the country lacked waste treatment and recycling facilities. 

This Penang had realised when implementing its waste segregation at source policy, he said. 

“Currently, we do not have buyers for certain recyclables such as glass, we have no access to facility for certain scheduled waste like used batteries and light tubes in a distance where transportation is economically viable. 

“We hope to work more closely with the federal government to bring the waste segregation at source policy in Penang and Malaysia to a greater height by improving solid waste management, waste collection system, recycling and treatment facilities and public cleansing works.

“Under the green economy, thousands of new high value jobs can be created in the waste sector,” he said in his World Environment Day message today. 

Chow, who is Penang Green Council chairman, said local governments policymakers, investors, industry players and the members of public must tackle their “tidak apa (never mind) attitude” towards waste, and properly manage waste and focus on developing domestic recycling industries.

He said Malaysia should heed the “wake-up call” experienced by other countries after China – the world’s biggest waste importer – banned 24 categories of solid waste like some types of plastic, paper and textiles beginning this year. 

“The ban left half of the world like the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and Japan scrambling to find new dumping grounds. 

“The ban would not only clean up China as a major polluter, but also a turning point to inspire a paradigm shift in the way waste is managed. 

“The European Union unveiled plans for all plastic packaging in Europe to be recyclable by 2030 and phase out single-use plastic like paper cups, straws to tackle pollution,” he said. 

Looking at global developments, Malaysia, too, needed to increase its recycling rate through proper waste management and instead of using landfills, he said. 

He also expressed hope the federal government would introduce national “polluters pay” policies and impose products life-cycle management on manufacturers to reduce environmental impacts at end-of-life. 

“Penang will also stringent our environmental education and enforcement to make the implementation of waste segregation at source (WSAS) a success. 

“The only way to ensure Penang will not have incinerator in the next 60 years is with a successful WSAS by achieving 40% or more recycling rate by 2020.

“By combining the efforts of the federal government, I hope Penang can embrace green growth with new technologies and new sectors,” he said. 

Penang has promoted green policies and practices for the past decade under the Pakatan Harapan government. 

In 2009, it was the first state government in the country to start the No Free Plastic Bags campaign in all supermarkets and hypermarkets.

Until today, shoppers who do not have reusable bags of their own have to pay 20 sen for every plastic bag they need. The collection goes to the state’s AES programme (Agenda Ekonomi Saksama) that aims to eradicate poverty in Penang.

Recently, local government minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said Putrajaya was mulling ia national ban on plastic bags within a year.  – June 5, 2018.