SHAH ALAM, July 27 — Public awareness of waste separation in Selangor remains low, resulting in large amounts of recyclable materials ending up in landfills instead of being recovered, said KDEB Waste Management’s (KDEBWM) managing director Dato' Ramli Mohd Tahir.
Only 20.7 percent of households separate recyclable items such as plastics, paper, and aluminium cans from their general waste.
"The biggest challenge is when all types of waste are mixed together in one black plastic bag. Recyclable materials such as plastic, paper, and cans eventually end up at the landfill, even though they still have value and can be reused.
“That is a loss that we must change together," he told Media Selangor.
Ramli added that increasing the waste separation rate should not be the sole responsibility of the state government, but requires the collective participation of communities, educational institutions, and non-governmental organisations to make recycling a common practice.
"Recycling programmes can be carried out at mosques, suraus, temples, churches, schools, and community halls in collaboration with local communities and local authorities so that more people participate,” he said.
Ramli noted that KDEBWM has introduced a collection schedule for recycling programmes across eight local authorities to make it easier for the public to send recyclable materials for collection.
"With more people practising waste separation, we can not only reduce the burden on landfills but also increase the recycling rate in Selangor,” he said.
Providing facilities such as rubbish bins and recycling bins alone will not be enough to encourage recycling if the public failed to use them properly.
"The government can provide various facilities, but if the public does not change its attitude, those facilities will not bring any benefit and may even become places for dumping rubbish.
"That is why a change in mindset and greater awareness are the keys to more sustainable waste management,” Ramli said.
