Tackling Mid-Autumn fest waste | The Star

PETALING JAYA: Although giving mooncakes is a tradition during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the good gesture can turn into a food waste problem if the pastries are uneaten and end up in a landfill warn consumer groups Besides food waste, which makes up the biggest type of trash in our landfills at 30.6%, another problem is overtly elaborate mooncake packaging, much of which is hard to recycle, they said.

To reduce waste during the Mid-Autumn Festival, consumers are advised to buy only what is needed, share the excess and opt for mooncakes with minimal packaging, or even better, no packaging.

“Giving away or donating food to others (to avoid waste) is something good to do, but it should not be taken as an excuse or to over-purchase,” said environment and waste management specialist Dr Theng Lee Chong, “as there is no guarantee that the food will be consumed.”

He said mooncakes exemplify the problem of excessive packaging in Malaysia and the need for a law to reduce it.

“I was told that some mooncake makers actually spend a lot of money on the packaging – as much as 30% of the cost of a mooncake goes to the packaging,” said Theng.

He said manufacturers would use whatever they could to make their products attractive and this was mainly caused by consumers’ demands.

“Unless a specific law tackling packaging is in place, it is unlikely that mooncake makers will make their packaging simpler and environmentally friendly.

“Lavish brands especially, may not be willing to compromise on their packaging unless such a law comes into force,” he said.

Theng said generally, a packaging law would mandate that only recyclable materials were used and that packages did not have excessive layers.

“If it’s not recyclable, then maybe it will be subject to a higher tax,” he said.

A packaging law in Germany requires businesses that produce or use packaging to contribute towards the cost of recycling and recovery.

Consumers can play their part by avoiding mooncakes with excessive packaging or choosing those with recyclable materials such as metal or paper instead of those with mixed materials, Theng said.

“A better alternative is to opt for no packaging while mooncake sellers and brands should provide special discounts or incentives for this.

“Another way is to provide a return system for consumers to bring back their packaging materials, or reuse some packaging boxes,” he said.

Zero Waste Malaysia member Tina Yap said “buying less was more”.

“Always double-check with your spouse or family members to avoid over-purchasing, which may lead to unnecessary food waste,” she said.

Yap also encouraged buying mooncakes from night markets and home-bakers who use minimal or no packaging.

“Start off by engaging in a healthy conversation with these traders on your reasons to go low waste. In the past, I have even used my own tiffin when buying mooncakes,” she said.

She said if packaging could not be avoided, the best was something simple as elaborate ones were hard to recycle.

Consumers may also not know how to separate recyclable and non-recyclable materials while boxes that are stained with oil and food are not accepted at recycling facilities.

She suggested that mooncake manufacturers label parts of a package that could be recycled.

“Manufacturers should consider displaying labels where the components go such as to a recycling facility, the incinerator, or for organisations, like social enterprises that accept specific components.

“If people started consuming mooncakes with minimal or no packaging, we will gradually reduce the demand for unnecessary packaging,” Yap added.