The state government of Selangor, Malaysia, is expanding its plastic bag ban to three days a week in an effort to reduce landfill use and dependence on waste-to-energy plants.
Reports by SHERIDAN MAHAVERA, JUNAID IBRAHIM and WANI MUTHIAH PETALING JAYA: The expansion of a plastic bag ban in Selangor to three days will significantly reduce landfill use and reliance on waste-to-energy plants, says a state exco member. Selangor public health and environment committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin said although the current policy has reduced plastic waste, Selangor continues to generate a significant amount as Malaysia’s most industrialised and populous state.
Currently, shops in Selangor do not give out plastic bags every Saturday, and the state government plans to extend this to every Friday, Saturday and Sunday sometime this year. “Behavioural changes are not instantaneous, especially given how ingrained plastic usage is in daily life,” Jamaliah said in an email response. She noted that the Covid-19 pandemic had caused a surge in plastic use and rolled back progress, as health concerns led to increased reliance on disposable materials. According to 2021 figures from her office, Selangor produces about 6,137 metric tonnes of household and industrial, commercial and institutional waste daily. Additionally, 2,537 tonnes of construction and demolition waste, post-consumer waste and bulky waste are generated daily. Plastic waste is the second-largest component of waste sent to landfills, trailing only organic or food waste.Selangor faces growing waste management challenges, with garbage generation expected to increase 6% annually, according to KDEB Waste Management Sdn Bhd. To manage this, the state government is constructing incinerators that will purportedly burn waste and turn it into energy. One such waste-to-energy plant in Batu Arang, Rawang, has already attracted protests from the local residents. Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari justified the need for such facilities in October 2023, saying that opening new landfills was no longer feasible
PLASTIC WASTE WASTE MANAGEMENT LANDFILLS ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY MALAYSIA
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