Mandatory Recycling Facilities At Malls Mark Shift In Waste Management

By Sakini Mohd Said

KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 (Bernama) -- The move to make Recycling Facilities (RFs) mandatory in shopping malls has been described as a policy transformation that can strengthen the country's waste management ecosystem by shifting from a voluntary approach to more effective enforcement.

Universiti Putra Malaysia Faculty of Forestry and Environment senior lecturer Dr Muhammad Heikal Ismail said the government's proactive effort is timely in boosting the national recycling rate, which stands at 35 per cent.

He said the rate remains very low given that the country generates about 39,000 tonnes of solid waste daily, with more than 80 per cent of it still ending up in landfills.

"This gap shows that the main issue is not merely public awareness but weaknesses in the management system and waste management policy design. In reality, many consumers want to recycle but do not know where suitable facilities are located, or they are too far away.

"The lack of access to recycling facilities is among the key factors contributing to Malaysia's still-low recycling rate," he told Bernama.

Starting this month, the government has made the provision of RFs in shopping malls a requirement for licence applications and renewals under local authorities, to be implemented in stages.

The establishment of RFs not only supports the National Recycling Rate target and strengthens urban solid waste management, but also provides opportunities for the public to generate economic value through "trash-to-cash" programmes, while improving urban sustainability scores under the MURNInets system.

According to Muhammad Heikal, the experience of countries that have increased their recycling rates shows that the most critical factor is not merely awareness campaigns, but the availability of infrastructure that is easily accessible to the public.

Citing Singapore as an example, he said the republic's recycling rate is around 60 per cent, supported largely by the availability of accessible facilities in residential areas, community centres and shopping malls.

"Singapore's success is also aided by well-planned, user-oriented infrastructure design, with recycling facilities located in strategic areas such as high-rise residential buildings and shopping malls to ensure easy access for users," he said.

He also described shopping malls as ideal collection hubs, capable of increasing the collection rate of recyclable materials by between 30 and 50 per cent more efficiently than residential areas.

The high volume of visitors and centralised management systems in shopping malls facilitate systematic monitoring and coordination.

"From a behavioural policy perspective, shopping malls also function as a behavioural nudging environment, where consumers are indirectly encouraged to recycle as part of their daily routines while shopping," he said.

Muhammad Heikal said that although operators may face cost and space constraints at the initial stage, the long-term benefits are substantial, particularly in strengthening the sustainability reputation of their premises and compliance with Environmental, Social and Governance practices.

He said the implementation of RFs would not only enhance the sustainability reputation of shopping malls to attract consumers and commercial tenants, but is also important within the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) ecosystem currently being developed by the government.

"EPR provides the basic infrastructure for the collection of post-consumer materials within a circular economy system, while reducing the volume of waste sent to landfills. The lifespan of several solid waste disposal sites is currently at a critical stage, and there are concerns that they may no longer be able to meet future needs," he said.

Meanwhile, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Faculty of Science and Technology senior lecturer Associate Professor Dr Mohd Shahrul Mohd Nadzir believes the effectiveness of RFs can be further enhanced through the introduction of reward or incentive systems for users.

He said the approach has proven successful in developed countries such as Germany, where special machines are used in supermarkets to collect returned plastic bottles and beverage cans in exchange for vouchers or cash refunds.

He said making RFs mandatory alone is insufficient to change public behaviour towards recycling, as evidenced by the misuse of waste collection facilities.

"Some irresponsible individuals leave all sorts of inappropriate items, such as damaged furniture, causing these areas to become poorly maintained and unsightly. Therefore, I believe that providing rewards or incentives can encourage a change in habits," he said.

-- BERNAMA