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

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3R Gap Analysis and Findings
Currently, most waste is disposed in landfills,
but due to rapid development and lack of space
for new landfills, big cities in Malaysia have
been switching to incineration. The main
components of the waste were found to be food,
paper and plastic, which make up almost 80%
of the waste by weight.
The figure below presents the composition of
MSW in Malaysia. The average moisture
content of the MSW was about 55%, making
incineration a challenging task. Calorific value
of MSW varies between 1,500 and 2,600 kcal/kg.
However, the energy potential from an
incineration plant consuming about 1,500 tons
of waste/day with an average calorific value of
2200 kcal/kg is assessed to be at 640 kw/day.
Calorific value of the MSW has allowed the
Government of Malaysia to promote thermal
treatment to partly solve both waste
management problems currently being faced by
major cities and to recover energy through
incineration.
In Malaysia, local authorities spend up to 60%
of annual budget for waste management
(UNEP, 2007). Despite efforts to promote 3R
through a nation wide campaign, the amount of
waste recycled is less than 5%. The Government
of Malaysia (GoM) has privatized SWM and has
adopted an integrated waste management
system in its efforts to minimize environmental
degradation. Since 1997, two companies
identified by GoM, Alam Flora Sdn Bhd (AFSB)
and Southern Waste Management Sdn Bhd
(SWMSB) have been engaged in interim
management contracts with the local
Composition of Municipal Solid Waste
Source: www.3rkh.net
Urban refuse in Malaysia
Image source: Asia-link -TETRAWAMA
Project 2006
authorities within their respective concession
areas. One private waste concessionaire has
undertaken a pilot project to compost green
waste in its landfill. The concessionaire has
targeted to compost 8% of the collected waste.
Very few manufacturers and companies are
doing much for recycling.
As a significant proportion of municipal solid
waste in Malaysia comprises of plastic carry
bags, a pilot project for Reducing Plastic Carrier
Bag Waste has been put forward. The project has
been under experimentation since 2001. A
strategic plan for solid waste management,
composting, RDF, recycling of tyres and plastic
are under research. A collaborative project
“Structuring and Institutionalizing Solid Waste
Management in Penang” was launched in 2006
between the Penang State Government, UNDP
and local authorities in Penang, the Majlis
Perbandaran Pulau Pinang and Majlis
Perbandaran Seberang Prai.
Findings
Only about 2-5% of waste in Malaysia
is recycled. A large amount of solid
waste is straining existing landfill sites,
and the majority of disposal sites are
merely opens dumps. Malaysia’s
commitment to private sector
involvement in environmental
management and infrastructure
development has led to many
significant environmental programs