Solid Waste

Management in
Malaysia

AESHWINI SINGARAJAN
UNIVERSITI MALAYA
 Introduction: Solid Waste Management in Malaysia

Almost 90% of waste was reportedly disposed to sanitary

• MALAYSIA is on track to miss its landfills, while only 10.5% was recycled. These targets
2020 targets to divert 40% of were set out as far back as August 2005:Malaysia’s
waste from landfill and National Strategic Plan (NSP) for Solid Waste Management.
increase recycling rates to 22%.

The Malaysian Government continues to promote a more effective way of waste management
by encouraging the reuse and reduce method and ultimately reducing landfill wastes.
Careful planning alongside efficient resource allocation and management are vital in achieving
a sustainable solid waste management system.

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 Types of waste and
composition

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 THE STANDARD HIERARCHY OF WASTE MANAGEMENT 

3Rs in Malaysia was first launched in late 1980s and

The 3Rs Concept focused mainly on the recycling activities which failed to
improve the existing waste management practice.

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 Dumping of wastes at
open fields and rivers

Classification of waste
Open burning

Problems in SWM
lack of policy to promote 3Rs
Dependence on landfill and a low public participation
need to reduced due to
population in urban areas
Lack of awareness

The increasing load of

waste being generated

Local authorities in SWM: Lack of

trained personnel, financial resources
and knowledge

Environmental
degradation from illegal
activities
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 Landfill in Malaysia
• Most common method used in handling MSW:- simple disposal procedure, low cost, and
landscape-restoring effect.
• “According to the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp
Malaysia), there are only 14 sanitary landfills all over the country; 161 landfills are still in
operation, while 141 are closed.”
• The problems with landfilling :
 Landfill pollutants leaching into sea (The Star Online, 16 Sep 2019)
 Johor landfill site’s burning causing health alarm to surrounding villagers (Malay Mail, 09
Nov 2018)
 Bernama reported that six solid waste landfills were found to have serious and recurring
leachate contamination issues: soil pollution
 Illegal dumping
 Jalan Gombak residents claim illegal landfill in KL causing air pollution (Malay Mail,17 Jun
2019)

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 Incineration in Malaysia
• Only small fraction of municipal waste is incinerated with capacity with 5 to 20 ton/day
capacity (MSW)
• Clinical waste incineration
• Hazardous waste incineration (scheduled waste)
The main environmental issues that arise directly from incineration installations are as
following:
Overall process emissions to air and water (including odor)
 Overall process residue and by-product production
Significant advances in
 Process noise and vibration technologies applied for the
cleaning of flue-gases in
 Energy consumption and production
particular have lead to
Raw material consumption major reductions in the
emissions to air
Fugitive emissions
 High Cost and Maintenance

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 In comparison to landfill, the advantages of incinerator (with energy recovery) are
typically the environmental benefits such as lower carbon emission, avoidance of land
contamination, higher energy recovery potential, the outputs (ashes) have potential to be
reused and it only requires a minimum footprint compared to other disposal alternative.

https://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/272751

 Air Pollution Control Residue (APCR)

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 Scheduled Waste (SW)
• ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT 1974: ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
(SCHEDULED WASTES) REGULATIONS 2005
• Guidelines : packaging, labelling and storage (example)

• Scheduled waste divided into 5 groups:

SW 1 Metal and metal-bearing wastes
SW 2 Wastes containing principally inorganic constituents which may contain metals
and organic materials
SW 3 Wastes containing principally organic constituents which may contain metals
and inorganic materials
SW 4 Wastes which may contain either inorganic or organic constituents
SW 5 Other wastes

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 Opportunities & Action Plan
Education and Awareness
• Recycle and Reuse

Waste
segregation!!!
Resource Recovery

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 Organic waste
disposal unit

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 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
• SDG 1 aims for No Poverty. 1% of the global urban population make their living from
recovering recyclable materials from waste (SDG 8). These informal waste champions
provide a valuable and often no-cost service, and it is important that we recognise
their role in urban sanitation and resource efficiency (SDG 10). Fair wages and basic
employment rights for all waste workers are fundamental to equal, inclusive and
sustainable communities.
• The rewards of waste management far outweigh the cost. For our communities to
prosper as healthy and resilient places to live, governments must urgently invest. Even
the poor choose to pay for waste management (or participate in it) when they see its
benefits. Producer Responsibility schemes and crucially – fiscal transparency – can help
ensure everyone pays their fair share to keep the planet clean (SDG 16).

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 https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Development-of-an-environmental-education-programme
-Pudin/472e4162de20491b66ac58cbd020831d5b81a22c
https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/40529
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2021/05/20/daily-food-waste-staggering
https://www.mida.gov.my/sustainable-waste-management-in-malaysia-opportunities-and-challen
ges/
https://global-recycling.info/archives/1451
https://www.doe.gov.my/portalv1/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/BEST-AVAILABLE-TECHNIQUES-G
UIDANCE-DOCUMENT-ON-WASTE-INCINERATOR.pdf
https://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/272751
https://wasteaid.org/waste-sustainable-development-goals/
http://dx. doi. org/10. 5772/50870

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