PETALING JAYA: It will be an uphill task to achieve the targeted national recycling rate of 40% by 2025, but it is not impossible, say environmental groups.
Pertubuhan Perlindungan Khazanah Alam Malaysia (Peka) president Damien Thanam said the target is realistic, but it can only be achieved with constant management and continuous monitoring at both the state and national levels.
“The biggest setback would be incompetence in keeping up with recycling efforts, and complacency when it comes to being pro-planet in terms of garbage management for a greener earth.
“Educational campaigns that promote recycling at home and in schools alongside providing incentives, such as municipal tax rebates and awarding communities who perform good recycling practices, should also be done,” he said.
Commenting on the decreasing quantity of plastic at landfills, Damien hoped that it was really due to the reduction in plastic usage but he feared it could be due to gaps in the system.
“These gaps may have resulted in plastic ending up in waterways, illegal dumps or unofficial incinerators, and could have been overlooked by enforcement agencies,” he said.
ALSO READ: Eating and breathing in plastic
He added that the government should promote innovation to constantly improve eco-friendly technologies to ensure no waste or pollution is generated from the recycling process.
“Local recycling taxes should also be implemented for domestic waste that is not separated before being discarded for collection.
“Taxes can also be implemented on businesses and consumers that depend on single use plastics,” he said.
He added that the Education Ministry also played a vital role in educating the future generation on being pro-planet.
“Efforts by individuals such as Sangga Sinayah, the school principal who has educated and promoted pro-planet lifestyles to teachers, students and parents, should be recognised, learned, and further encouraged by the government and public,” he said.
President and chief executive officer of Ecotourism and Conservation Society Malaysia, Andrew Sebastian, said achieving the target of 40% was elusive due to the high usage of face masks and other plastic materials in the past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“But the target can be reached if there is enough political will and initiatives taken by all sectors of society,” he said.
Sebastian also noted that the decreasing trend of plastic at landfills could be due to Covid-19 restrictions causing people to stay at home and businesses to reduce operations or even shutting down.
He said ecologically-friendly choices were needed to minimise carbon footprints in order to create a more sustainable environment.
“Recycling will help to tip the balance by producing or reusing existing materials instead of constantly using more resources.
“It can also offer employment opportunities in the short to mid-term. In the long term, hopefully, there would be a shortage of materials to recycle,” he said.
ALSO READ: Malaysian experts join international study on plastic pollution
Environmental science doctoral candidate Celine Chong said recycling was crucial to keep harmful chemicals out of the environment.
“Items such as inkjet cartridges and computers are manufactured using heavy metals, and disposing them in landfills would bring a negative impact on both humans and wildlife.
“By sending such items to recycling facilities, they can be processed appropriately,” she said, adding that recycling can also help to mitigate climate change as landfills release methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.
Chong said one of the easiest ways to practise recycling is to separate organic and inorganic wastes for easy collection by waste collectors.
“Homes and offices could also be given recycling bins to increase the convenience of recycling.
“Education in schools and from parents is also key to cultivating and instilling the recycling mindset, especially among the younger generations,” she said.