Integrated solid waste management good practices to

prevent plastic marine litter in the East Asian Seas region

Mersing Islands, Collection

Sorting

Recycling &
upcycling Project Overview:

Malaysia Retrieval of
legacy plastics Data collection

Community-based waste management

Good practices
in the plastic
value chain

Deposit return Financing &

& take-back credits

Behaviour Design for

change circularity

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been unwittingly made.
Integrated solid waste management good practices to prevent plastic marine litter in the East Asian Seas region Mersing Islands, Malaysia

The situation in the Mersing Islands, Malaysia:

The pilot was

implemented on

4
515
inhabitants
&
22 tourist
of the inhabited resorts
islands

Increased
from 2.8 tonnes to

02 Transfer
station 04 Transport to
mainland
Recyclables are stored until enough
Waste is collected regularly from the
is collected to be transported
bins and transported to the transfer
to mainland.
station.
. RECYCLING CENT
06 ER

. TRANSFER STATIO ANSPORT TO MAIN

LA
02 N . TR ND
04

03 ED
0 1. S . PR R
E GR EG ATION O CE SS E D & STO

01 Segregation 03 Processed &

stored
Households take their waste to
segregation bins conveniently Waste is stored and processed
located for the community. in the transfer station.

Photo credits: Ash Raja and Jonathan Dexter, COBSEA

Integrated solid waste management good practices to prevent plastic marine litter in the East Asian Seas region Mersing Islands, Malaysia

Case description:

Work in Long term sustainability,

communities transparency & traceability

Funding

Expansion
Integrated solid waste management good practices to prevent plastic marine litter in the East Asian Seas region
Achievements (Oct 2017 – Dec 2019):
New bin
system
521kg of trash, including
recyclables, were disposed of in the
new bin system. Out of this, 81kg
plastic bottles and 20kg of cans
were sent to mainland to be
recycled.
Increased
awareness
There is an increased
understanding and awareness of
the impact of human waste. This
caused a shift towards more
sustainable practices for residents
in general and for tourism
operators.
Beach
clean-ups
654kg of trash, including
recyclables, were collected in two
beach clean-ups. 172kg of plastic
bottles and 27kg of cans were sent
to be recycled.
Livelihoods
of workers
improved
Workers involved in the creation of
the waste sorting facility improved
their income. Waste collectors and
processors are being paid for their
contributions, improving their
livelihoods.
Mersing Islands, Malaysia
Local
cleanliness
The cleanliness of local village and
beach areas has improved through
reducing the amount of discarded
plastic in the environment. This is
relevant to sustain tourism
activities which are important to
the islands' economy.
Reduction
in pollution
Expected reduction in pollution of
marine environments, including
coral reefs, seagrass beds and
mangroves in the long term,
thereby protecting ecosystems
and potentially reducing plastic
entering the food chain.
Integrated solid waste management good practices to prevent plastic marine litter in the East Asian Seas region Mersing Islands, Malaysia

Overcoming challenges:
Key success factors:

Community participation
Community High transportation The local village chief became a champion of the pilot and ensured local
costs and governmental permits were expedited. RCM’s meaningful engagement
with communities allowed for adaptability, flexibility and sustainability of
the project. The community was involved in every step of the pilot,
participating in environmental education and recycling initiatives.
Waste collectors and processors were paid for their contributions,
improving their livelihoods.

Market for recycling

Before the pilot started, a plastic recycling market was found on the
mainland.

Financing mechanism
Seed funding was received to set up the project and investigate a long

PLAN Flexible planning

Body of knowledge and experience
This pilot replicated a system similar to one that RCM had already
implemented in the Tioman Islands, Malaysia. This allowed RCM to use
its previous experience to ensure the pilot’s success. A body of knowledge
on local stakeholders had also already been developed, including a
consultation process . This further helped to ease communication and
acceptance of the project. A project team was already in place, with good
relationships with stakeholders. This made the communication of the
goals of the project more manageable.

Cost efficiency and sustainability

The system implemented is simple, easy to understand and does not
require expensive tools or machinery. This also means that the machinery

ocean and environment to be clean, thus stakeholders are willing to

contribute to the long-term sustainability of the pilot.
Integrated solid waste management good practices to prevent plastic marine litter in the East Asian Seas region Mersing Islands, Malaysia

What do you need to replicate this practice? Videos showcasing the pilot

English
Seed funding to set up partnerships and infrastructure in the community
01 for the sorting and disposal of waste, building a transfer station and buying
materials and machinery.

Establishing strong stakeholder relationships before starting the design

02 and implementation of the project.

Existing recycling infrastructure or a recycling company willing to buy

03 household recyclables.

Access to tourism operators to support the transport of recyclables in Bahasa Malay

04 the long term.

05 received by the community.

Contact us for further info:

COBSEA Secretariat: unep-cobsea@un.org | www.cobsea.org
RCM: julian@reefcheck.org.my | www.reefcheck.org.my