Action will be taken against households that fail to separate solid waste
KUALA LUMPUR: The Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp Malaysia) will act against households which fail to separate solid waste at source beginning June 1.
SWCorp Malaysia Federal Territories director Hazilah Gumri said the enforcement operation will be carried out in several states, including Federal Territories (Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya), Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Johor, Kedah, Perlis and Pahang, despite facing objections from several quarters to postpone this to a later date.
"A survey done in October last year in the states involved revealed 60% have put into practice the waste separation since last year and more than 80% are aware of the implementation on June 1," she said after launching the briefing for enforcement and separation of solid waste at the source at the Kuala Lumpur Industrial Training Institute here in Jalan Kuchai Lama today.
Hazilah said they will go ahead with the implementation and enforcement under the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Act 672), as this is being done also in other countries.
"In Japan, there is a province that separates their waste into 34 different sections ... and we are just separating it into three parts. Let us not surrender the war before it has even began," she said, adding that the local councils are in support of this measure as landfill spaces are reducing.
She said officers have been trained since last year to carry out the enforcement action, adding that there are some 89 enforcement officers within the Federal Territories itself.
While some 82,000 'friendly reminders' were issued to households who did not practice waste separation since last September, she said, the aim was to create awareness that they can be penalised.
She said Malaysians must inculcate the habit of recycling and separating their waste to save the environment.
The waste separation at source involves separating recyclable household rubbish to three categories, which are paper, plastic and other recyclables (including glass, ceramics, tin, metals and electronics) from other waste like food waste, dirt and diapers.
Beginning June 1, those who fail to do so will be issued a compound of RM50 for landed properties and RM100 for non-landed properties for first offences.
For more details, visit http://www.swcorp.gov.my/SAS/