Waste Management Issue in Malaysia
Waste management issue is one of the unsettled issues in
Malaysia. The issue has been discussed for a very long time yet it is not
settled especially waste collection and disposal. As we can see, there are lots
of rubbish piling everywhere; on the roadsides, playgrounds, rivers and
beaches. According to Smart Ranger, the
main problem on waste management in Malaysia are amount and component of solid
waste generated, limited community initiative and participant, disposal site,
outdated and poor documentation. Most of
us will agree on this as we can always see the news reports on this issue. In 2008,
23,000 tonnes of waste is produced each day in Malaysia but only 5% is recycled.
The lacks of ethics of Malaysian, especially in recycling or composting the
rubbish despite contribute to the amount of rubbish produced.
In my opinion, this issue has not been discussed
thoroughly and no definite actions are taken. In Selangor, we can see how the
problems are still not able to be solved. Government should find ways on how to
handle this issue carefully and implement them. Besides that, Malaysians are
known as irresponsible and lacking ethics especially in disposing rubbish. Most
of us only know how to throw them but do not know how to throw them ‘properly’. Some did not even care and just simply
throwing them in public are and also rivers and beaches. Penalties are not
regularly implemented by the government so many of us just take them for
granted. In addition, in some places, the rubbish collection is not that
efficient. There are times when the rubbish is not collected in times. As a result,
the rubbish piled up to the brim and spilled.
One of the things that make it harder to solve this
issue is people’s behaviour. Before anything else, people need to change their behaviour.
They need to have awareness regarding this issue so that we can work together
to solve the matter. People should think before they throw the rubbish and try
to minimize the number of the rubbish produced each day. This should be taught
to the young children as well so that the problem can be cured easily. The
number of plastics used should also be reduced and tried to use recyclable products
more often. Malaysian also should be taught on how to recycle their waste and
how to separate them properly. Compared to foreign countries, Malaysians are
still lagging behind in term of awareness regarding waste disposals and
recycling. Malaysians are also do not aware of the consequences of this issue
towards the environment. The impact of solid waste can give impacts on climate
change. The landfill methane emission can trap heat thus causing green house
effect.
Proper planning and action should be taken by the
government to solve this issue. Malaysia has spent 40%-70% of our access tax
for rubbish collection and disposal. Therefore, we need more commitment from
the government and also the community for more effective waste management. In conclusion,
this issue need serious attention from all of the parties as it is not simply
an environmental issue because it can cause more harm than we think.
Reference: www.smartranger.net
