Malaysia Looks To Japan’s Waste Management Practices To Advance Circular Economy - Nga

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 18 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is looking to Japan’s waste separation and recycling practices as it seeks to make environmentally responsible habits part of everyday life and accelerate the country’s transition towards a circular economy.

Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said Japan’s experience in efficient waste management, particularly its practice of separating waste at source, could provide valuable lessons for Malaysia.

“Japan is well known for its efficient waste management system and strong culture of cleanliness. In Japan, separating waste at source has become part of everyday life. This is something we can learn from.

“Good habits must start from young. We should teach our children about waste separation, recycling and keeping our surroundings clean, so that cleanliness becomes part of our culture and not something we do only because of enforcement,” he said in a statement today.

Nga said Malaysia and Japan were set to strengthen cooperation in advancing the circular economy and modernising waste management through a proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two countries.

The MoU, which he said was approved by the Cabinet last month, is expected to facilitate the exchange of expertise, technology and best practices between the two countries.

Nga discussed the proposed cooperation during a courtesy visit to Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia Noriyuki Shikata at the ambassador’s official residence here today.

He said Malaysia had already introduced several measures to support the transition, including the National Circular Economy Blueprint and the establishment of the National Circular Economy Council (NCEC), as well as requiring shopping malls to provide recycling facilities as part of licensing requirements and continuing efforts to phase out single-use plastic bags.

“By combining Japan’s experience and technological expertise with Malaysia’s ongoing reforms, we can accelerate our transition towards cleaner, greener and more sustainable cities,” Nga said.

Meanwhile, Shikata invited the Malaysian delegation to attend GREEN×EXPO 2027 in Yokohama, which could provide further opportunities for cooperation in areas including smart and sustainable cities.

-- BERNAMA