Recycling Bins in Malaysia
The recycling rate in Malaysia has increased significantly over last few years moving from just 15.7% back in 2015 to 28.1% as of the year 2019. It is a small step forward as Malaysia surpassed its 2020 target of 22%. Above all we should not be too overjoyed as Malaysia is still lacking behind other developed countries. With the rise of food delivery services and packaged foods there has certainly been an increase in plastic waste.
The main issue is how we should deal with the plastic wastes once it has been used. If we discard it in our normal waste bins it will end up in the landfill or worse in our oceans. We need to be vigilant and start to think about our home planet, Earth.
What is Residual Waste ?
Defined as non- hazardous waste material that cannot be re-used or recycled. Waste that needs to be disposed off either in a landfill or through incinerator . Eg. diapers, sanitary pads,
What are Recyclable Items ?
Generally in Malaysia we sort the recyclable waste into these following categories listed as follows:
- Plastics
- Metal (Cans or Aluminum)
- Paper
- Glass
- Food Waste
- E-Waste
- Clothing
Types of Recycling Bins
Recycling bins comes various shapes, sizes and colours. Contrary to popular belief, there is actually no recycling colour standards in Malaysia or worldwide, however there guides which are basically a suggestion for people to follow.
According to Waste Management Association of Malaysia, three different bins are recommended for recycling purposes which are Blue for Paper, Brown for Glass and Orange for Plastics and Metals. However we strongly disagree on this. Above all combining plastics and metal in one bin defeats the purpose of separation at source. In the diagram below we can clearly see the breakdown of waste by households and commercials in Malaysia.
Source: KPKT
Perstorp has developed a wide range of recycling bins to tackle the variety of recyclable materials produced by households and commercials alike. Separating the materials at source means that handling and processing of the recyclables are more efficient and less time consuming.
This is why we recommend most households and commercials to start simple, start by separating the most common recyclable wastes. Plastic is on top of the list, almost every food packaging, container and bottles are made from plastic. Therefore plastics should be separated first. Secondly would be paper; all paper can be recycled and it would be a great shame if it ends up in the landfill.
Food Waste Recycling in Malaysia
Based on studies conducted by the JPSPN, 44.5% of total waste generated from households, commercials and industries consists of food waste. This is perhaps a topic which is less popular or usually ignored by most mainstream media. When food waste rots in the landfill it gives off methane gas, which is the most harmful greenhouse gas of them all.
What can we do about food waste ?
Firstly in Malaysia we lack of awareness, and because of this anaerobic digestors are almost non existent. These digestors are important as they are able to harness the methane gas before it released to the atmosphere and than be utilised for creating energy or even as a fuel source for vehicles.
Friends of ours at MAEKO are doing a fantastic job with their composting machines, these machines are able to turn all sorts of food waste into composts or farm fertilisers. This is so important as composts are nourishment that plants need to grow and produce better quality foods for us.
