SHAH ALAM: Berjaya EnviroParks Sdn Bhd will collaborate with Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) and Spanish company Entomo Agroindustrial to develop an ecological low-cost solution to treat organic waste in landfills.
The collaboration was revealed at a Memorandum of Agreement signing ceremony in UiTM Shah Alam yesterday.
Berjaya EnviroParks Senior General Manager Peter Wong said he is happy the company is participating in the project, adding that it would be a game changer in waste management and treatment process.
“This is indeed a historic moment for us in our participation in the Malaysia-Spain Innovating Programme (MySip). It was a challenge for the consortium partners UiTM, Entomo Agroindustrial and Berjaya EnviroParks, which worked tirelessly and engaged in dialogues during the Covid-19 restriction period and across different time zones.”
Wong said the pandemic has demonstrated that trust, partnership and solidarity are essential when addressing common environmental-related interests for the greater good of mankind in addressing sustainability issues and achieving a circular economy.
“We thank you again for your recognition of our project, which represents a significant step towards sustainable waste management practices that will ultimately lead towards the preservation of our environment,” he added.
In addressing the challenges of waste management in the country, Wong said the parties were ready to support the government in its various initiatives and take urgent action in education, training and technology adoption.
“We are extremely fortunate the MySip grant was timely, as Malaysia is at a crossroads in the implementation of various waste management technologies and strategies.
“We hope our project will be an integral part of the comprehensive waste management strategy, which is critical towards environmental sustainability and the well-being of our people,” he said.
UiTM Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Hajah Roziah Mohd Janor said the combined efforts can contribute to addressing an issue that affects many communities around the globe, by resolving the management of daily organic waste in a more sustainable manner.
“This research project aims to use insects like the Black Soldier fly to recycle organic waste in landfills, reuse old ones and treat wastewater to achieve various goals of the knowledge economy and Sustainable Development Goals.
“I am hopeful that this innovative industry-academia project can pragmatically improve current waste management facilities to be more sustainable in their operations. Potentially, this can even be implemented through a national policy on organic waste management,” she said.
As part of the collaboration, Berjaya EnviroParks will carry out research in separating organic waste and supplying it to UiTM researchers, while Entomo Agroindustrial will study and design a state-of-the-art automated cargo container waste treatment device using Black Soldier flies, and adapting it to the tropical conditions in Malaysia.
