The conversation around sustainable living often centres around high-cost options like organic food or eco-friendly products, creating a misconception that sustainability is a luxury. However, it can start with simple, practical green steps. As a co-founder of GreenSteps Malaysia, I've observed firsthand the impact of proper source separation of waste in transforming waste management in Malaysia. This habit is not just important for the environment; it's a practical way to move towards a better future.

ACT 672 and its challenges of putting it into Practice

In 2015, Malaysia introduced the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act (Act 672), a major law for waste management. This law, started on September 1, 2015, in several states including Kuala Lumpur, made it necessary for people to separate their waste¹. The goal was to get everyone to sort their waste right where it was created. For households, it would start from the home. Although there was a one-year period for people to learn about and get used to this new rule, it seems like this wasn't enough. Even though the law was more strictly applied in 2018, with fines of RM50 for houses and RM100 for businesses if they didn't source separate their waste, it hasn't had as much effect as hoped.

Researchers Razi et al. identifies key barriers to participation, including enforcement issues, inadequate facilities, lack of awareness, and absence of incentives. This echoes Fogt Jacobsen et al., who highlighted a lack of knowledge and convenience as major hurdles in waste separation and recycling practices².

Why Proper Source Separation Matters

The importance of waste separation becomes evident when considering the financial and environmental costs of waste management. The Malaysian government allocates RM1.9 billion to solid waste collection and public cleansing³, amounting to about 40% of local councils' budget. Of the 311 landfills in the country, only 137 are operational, and among these, merely 21 are sanitary. The majority are illegal dumpsites, contributing to environmental degradation and public health risks.

Every day, approximately 38,000 tonnes of waste are sent to landfills in Malaysia. Of this, about 17,000 tonnes consist of food waste, with 4,000 tonnes being edible – enough to provide three meals a day to nearly 3 million people⁴. This not only represents a colossal waste of resources but also a missed opportunity to utilise these valuable resources. For example, organic waste can be converted into compost, enriching soil quality and supporting sustainable agricultural practices, thereby enhancing food security. By reducing food waste at the source, we can also decrease the amount of organic material in landfills. This reduction is crucial as it helps lower greenhouse gas emissions, especially methane, which is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide in contributing to global warming.

In addition to this, the remaining landfill waste, primarily paper and plastic products, can be recycled and repurposed. According to the National Solid Waste Management Department, it is estimated that Malaysia faces annual losses of RM476 million in recyclable resources because recycling practices have yet to be normalised in the country⁵. The current national recycling rate is just 33%⁶, underscoring a significant gap in resource recovery and recycling efforts.

GreenSteps Malaysia's Approach

At GreenSteps Malaysia, we've seen that behaviour change is possible through our zero-waste city design initiatives in Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) and Kampung Sungai Penchala (KSP). We simplified the recycling process with weekly curbside recycling, allowing residents to combine all recyclables in one bag for later sorting. This approach has brought positive results. In just 20 months, we collected 6.3 metric tons of recyclable materials from 193 households. We achieved a recycling rate of 90%, compared to the national average of 33%. Furthermore, the participation rate from residents has remained at a steady 70% every week. As we reach December 2023, we have successfully organised weekly curbside recycling for all the landed houses in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, totalling more than 4,100 households. This achievement was made possible with the collaboration from the local council and various ecosystem partners via Smart Community Segambut Committee and the Local Agenda 21 (LA21) Kuala Lumpur.

Figure 1: GreenSteps Malaysia Weekly Curbside Recycling Report Card for TTDI 

Our approach extends to food waste management, where we advocate for home composting. To support this, we offer localised educational resources, equipping residents with the necessary skills for effective composting. Recognizing that some households and businesses, especially eateries in Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI), generate larger amounts of food waste, we recommend using composting machines. These machines efficiently handle large volumes of organic waste, making them ideal for commercial use. Additionally, some of them send their food waste to local urban farms and community gardens. This waste can be turned into nutrient-rich compost, contributing to the health of our local food system and ensuring sustainable consumption and production. To further empower communities in composting, we co-organized a three-month 'Food Waste to Wealth' competition with Panasonic Malaysia.

Figure 2: GreenSteps Malaysia and Panasonic Malaysia jointly organized a 'Food Waste to Wealth' contest spanning three months with residents of TTDI.

Our efforts go beyond just managing waste; they include connecting various stakeholders and fostering a sense of community cohesiveness. By bringing local councils, residents, local businesses, waste management providers and innovators, we can transform the way the community perceives and deals with waste, encouraging a more mindful and responsible approach.

Proper source separation of waste is a cornerstone of sustainable waste management and it is easy to adopt sustainable lifestyle practices. It's a simple yet powerful tool that can significantly reduce environmental impact and financial loss. At GreenSteps Malaysia, we're dedicated to leading this change, and creating resilient, self-sufficient communities. We invite individuals and businesses to join us in this journey towards building a low-carbon, zero-waste society.

For collaborations or more information, reach out to us at greenstepsttdi@gmail.com, and follow our progress on Instagram and Facebook: @GreenStepsMalaysia

References:

1. Razi HH, Roslly KA, Jurimi S, Sharkawi S. Why Does Waste Separation At Source Initiative (SSI) Did Not Fully Commission In Malaysia? An Exploratory Preliminary Study. 2022 Sept;10(2):86–109.

2. Fogt Jacobsen L, Pedersen S, Thøgersen J. Drivers of and barriers to consumers’ plastic packaging waste avoidance and recycling – A systematic literature review. Waste Management. 2022;141:63–78. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2022.01.021

3. Shahril M. Waste to energy for a sustainable future - MIDA: Malaysian Investment Development Authority [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2023 Dec 12]. Available from: https://www.mida.gov.my/waste-to-energy-for-a-sustainable-future/

4. Meikeng Y. M’sians continue to Waste Food [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2023 Dec 12]. Available from: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/06/06/msians-continue-to-waste-food

5. Bernama. Can Malaysia achieve 40 per cent recycling rate by 2025?: New Straits Times [Internet]. New Straits Times; 2022 [cited 2023 Dec 12]. Available from: https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2022/03/778625/can-malaysia-achieve-40-cent-recycling-rate-2025#:~:text=KUALA%20LUMPUR%3A%20Every%20year%2C%20Malaysia,a%20norm%20in%20this%20country.

6. Zainal F. Recycling habit needs a boost [Internet]. 2023 [cited 2023 Dec 12]. Available from: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/08/05/recycling-habit-needs-a-boost#:~:text=More%20to%20do%3A%20Malaysia%20currently,40%25%20target%20set%20for%202025.

7. Rashid F. Panasonic, GreenSteps partner up to Combat Food Waste [Internet]. News Strait Times; 2023 [cited 2023 Dec 12]. Available from: https://www.nst.com.my/business/2023/03/894659/panasonic-greensteps-partner-combat-food-waste