A Gap Analysis in Selected Asian Countries, 3R Knowledge Hub ...

BACKGROUND
With about 330,000 km 2 and a population of over
24 million, Malaysia has a per capita GDP of
USD 12,700. Industry and the services sector
contribute a whooping 48% and 43%,
respectively. Agriculture contributes a meager
9% to the GDP. This demonstrates the lifestyle of
the population in the country. As in the case of
any developing country, Malaysia is also facing
threats of urbanization and industrialization.
Increasing industrial activity and growth in
population is always reflected in waste
generation concerns. Malaysia is no exception.
With limited natural resources and land
availability, Malaysia is at the crossroads of
sustainability in waste management and
disposal.
PRIORITY AREAS
Since mid 1980s, solid waste generated in urban
areas of Malaysia has been increasing yearly due
to rapid urbanization and diversified lifestyles.
As a result, problems with increasing waste
management costs and securing landfill sites
have arisen in the country. The national average
waste generation is found to be ranging between
0.5–0.8 kg/ person/day, but in the cities it has
escalated to 1.7 kg/person/day. On an average,
about 2,500 tons of municipal solid waste is
collected every day in the city of Kuala Lumpur
alone and dumped at the Taman Beringin
dumpsite. Since the lifespan of this dumpsite has
already expired, the city council built a transfer
station at the Taman Beringin dumpsite as a
temporary solution, and put into operation in
2001, to facilitate the transfer of the waste to a
new site.
Evidently, solid waste management in the urban
centers is a priority issue requiring immediate
attention. Considering the need, the city council
started looking at an integrated approach on
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Malaysia
solid waste management as an alternative to
the old concept of just dumping all generated
waste. This new outlook by the city council has
brought about activities such as waste recycling
and recovery followed by incinerating the
waste to recover the energy, with only the final
inert material being considered for land filling.
This is aimed at reducing the burden on
landfills and also open opportunities for new
technologies in treating the urban municipal
waste.
URBAN MUNICIPAL WASTE
Solid waste generation increased from 16,200
tons/day in 2001 to 19,100 tons/day in 2005 in
Peninsular Malaysia. About 76% of waste
generated is collected and 1-2% of waste is
recycled (from the collected waste) while the
remaining is taken to the disposal sites. There are
about 175 disposal sites operating as open dumps
in Malaysia. In Kuala Lumpur, only about 5% of
waste collected is reused and recycled. The states
of Selangor and the Federal Territory, the highly
urbanized and industrialized areas, contribute
about 36% of MSW generated in Malaysia.
Chapter 3: Country Analysis
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