PETALING JAYA: In a move to facilitate the transition towards a circular economy, the newly launched blueprint will focus on five strategic pillars, says Nga Kor Ming.

The Housing and Local Government Minister said the Circular Economy Blueprint for Solid Waste in Malaysia (2025-2035) highlighted several long-term plans and initiatives that would encourage its adoption by both the public and local industries.

A circular economic system is one where most, if not all, existing products and materials from both manufacturing and post-consumer use are recycled or reused for as long as possible.

This way, the life cycle of products and materials is extended significantly, leading to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly production while also minimising national waste.

According to Nga, the blueprint’s five strategic pillars are governance and legislation, guidelines and procedures, digitisation and technology, as well as infrastructure and facilities.

“It will also focus on market creation to promote the national growth of the recycling and solid waste-based industries,” he said in his speech during the ministry’s Circular Economy Conference here yesterday.

One of the noteworthy plans is the phased implementation of the mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy for solid waste.

Under this, manufacturers will be obligated to collect and recycle materials from their products after their post-consumer usage or disposal.

“There are also plans to introduce a Zero Waste to Landfill Certification in solid waste management, which recognises manufacturers who manage to enhance their resource efficiency and minimise waste generation,” he said.

The planned certification will also be used to determine whether a producer is eligible for circular economy incentives.

A Pay-As-You-Throw scheme is also one of the plans to be introduced for businesses in commercial, industrial, institutional and construction sectors.

This scheme will see companies charged based on the waste they dispose of to landfills, with the goal of incentivising waste reduction policies.

Nga also said the ministry had begun a study into a possible Circular Economy Act in preparation for future implementation of the circular economy through comprehensive legislation.

He said the ministry would also push for industry players to establish a National Circular Economy Association.

“The plan is to have this association serve as a platform to coordinate, plan and drive circular economy initiatives more comprehensively in Malaysia.

“It will work closely with the Circular Economy Council for Solid Waste at the national level and play a vital role in advancing the country’s recycling industry and solid waste-based industries,” he added.

Nga also announced plans to upgrade all existing unsanitary landfills with Material Recovery Facilities as part of its goal to transform excessive national daily waste into energy via 17 new possible waste-to- energy (WTE) plants in the country.

“Malaysians currently produce up to 39,000 tonnes of solid waste daily, with each Malaysian contributing up to 1.17kg of waste daily.

“This excessive waste means that closing a single filled landfill can cost up to RM20mil because of the need to treat the nearby landfill area and clean its surroundings,” he said in a press conference after the event.

“In China alone, there are 700 WTE plants and even our neighbour Singapore has five WTE plants, whereas we currently only have one in Port Dickson.

“According to our findings and statistics, we have determined that Malaysia is able to operate up to 18 WTE plants that would be financially viable and environmentally sustainable across the country,” Nga added.

He also said his ministry would continue its comparative studies of existing WTE models around the world before making a final decision on developing new WTE plants.

“We will adopt only those models that are best suited for the country and that have already been proven safe in other countries,” he said.

Nga noted that the circular economy initiatives in the blueprint could potentially expand the service sector and generate additional income for Malaysians.

“The government aims for the Malaysian circular economy to become a key economic driver by creating new markets for post-consumer products while generating more employment opportunities for the people,” he said.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/08/07/inching-closer-to-circular-economy