Festive period waste well managed

City councils act quickly to transport rubbish surge to landfills, preventing illegal dumping

AFTER all the festivities, rubbish collectors in Penang have been left with a huge task to collect domestic waste, which has increased by up to 4.5% this year.

This has been attributed to the higher consumption of food and resulting packaging material, and other domestic waste that end up in landfills during this period.

Environment and waste management expert Assoc Prof Dr Mohamad Anuar Kamaruddin said special events such as celebrations or festivals could result in a waste surge with disposable plates, decorations and excess food being major contributors.

“Additionally, during sales prior to the festivities, more promotional materials and packaging are being randomly discarded,” he said.

Penang Island City Council (MBPP) said that it collected 4,509 tonnes of waste during Hari Raya week compared to 4,314 tonnes during the same period in 2023.

MBPP mayor Datuk Anthony Rajendran said the amount was an increase of 195 tonnes or around 4.5%.

He said the waste collected before Hari Raya week was 4,666 tonnes, 0.7% more from the 4,633 tonnes gathered in the week prior to the celebration last year.

He explained that the slight increase was a common trend during festive seasons, where households tend to produce more waste.

In Seberang Perai, the city council (MBSP) said in a statement that the waste collection between March 12 and April 14 (Ramadan and Hari Raya period) was 50,828 tonnes, up 1.45% compared to the equivalent period in 2023.

Rajendran explained that both local councils had made preparations to manage waste influx by transporting large quantities to landfills, thereby preventing illegal disposals from happening.

The mayor also pointed out that Penang’s recycling rate of 51.18% surpassed the national average of 33.2% while the state’s progress in waste management had continued to rise alongside increasing waste generation.

“Penang has prioritised solid waste separation activities at source as a key strategy to promote sustainable waste management practices and alleviate pressure on the Pulau Burung sanitary landfill.

“Both the state government and local authorities have been actively involved in carrying out these initiatives,” he said.

Among Penang’s efforts to build public awareness on waste generation and management that Rajendran said had played a vital role were the Waste Segregation at Source Policy introduced in 2017, and the “No Plastic Bags Day” campaign which began in 2009.

He said the 2023 launch of the Penang Solid Waste Roadmap 2050 involving all parties was important because the public needed to participate in the shift to advanced waste treatment and disposal methods.