Wednesday, August 29, 2007

ENVIRONMENT: Cleaning up a dirty business




Through years of towering waste heaps and leaky, bloated landfills, there have been far too many complaints and no universally acceptable options. Things are about to change, writes ELIZABETH JOHN

THE solid waste problem is one that’s been waiting a long time for a fix. Finally, this week, a part of the solution arrived with the passing of the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Bill.

It promises a little order to the chaos, a clampdown on Malaysia’s throwmania and crucial changes to the way the industry operates.

Authority over solid waste and public cleansing moves from states and local authorities to the federal government.

They now have the power to make agreements with service providers, setting terms, standards and determining the charges and fees for services.

Service providers will be governed by Key Performance Index which will be part of the concession agreements.

With this bill comes the setting up of a specialised government department headed by its very own director-general of Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management — not one that is forced to look into everything from housing to local government.

A second bill — the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation — will see the creation of a body to enforce the new law.

Service providers, and owners and operators of facilities like landfills, move from being contractors to licensees. Their licences are renewable and revocable.

Failure to keep to the terms of their licence — which includes even the frequency of service — will result in some of the stiffest penalties in the bill.

The corporation can even take over when a licensed service provider becomes insolvent.

It also has responsibilities to consumers. The corporation must ensure that service providers do a proper job and must make efforts to improve operational efficiency.

The new laws do not provide consumers with a direct avenue of complaint like the National Water Forum does.

But it is learnt that the department and corporation will put in place a mechanism to deal with public complaints.

It provides for the Tribunal for Solid Waste Management Services. The tribunal will deal with claims, especially those of fees and charges owed to service providers. It can also deal with customers who are not happy with the charges imposed on them.

The new law gives the government power to deal with problems like scavengers, unregistered collectors of recyclable items and illegal dumping.

The construction of landfills must meet tough requirements and something can be done about those built without proper approval before the law came into force.

There will also be the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Fund to cover the government’s expenses in ensuring continued solid waste management services.

The government can now make rules on recycling.

It can make manufacturers take back and safely dispose off or recycle products.


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Waste managers seeking clearer picture



OF the many who’ve been waiting a decade for the new bill on the block, waste industry players and professionals are probably the most worried and excited.

For this group, the first chance to dissect and discuss the recently passed Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Bill comes as quickly as next month.

Although the annual Waste Management Conference and Exhibition is about a myriad issues the industry grapples with, this year, most will be asking all about the bill.

They’ll be hearing from Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting and the ministry’s secretary-general, Datuk Ahmad Fuad Ismail, who are scheduled to speak.

This year, they want to move away from problems and focus on solutions, says K.N. Gobinathan, the vice-president of the co-organisers Ensearch.

"How will the system of private concessionaires work? Will it be a monopoly or is there room for many to participate?

"Hopefully, we’ll get some answers and a chance to express our opinions," he says.

The conference and exhibition is aptly focused on solid waste which the Environmental Management and Research Association of Malaysia considers one of the top environmental problems in the country.

Poor management has led to many problems and public attitude towards waste is not all it should be, says Gobinathan.

Making the bill happen has also been a very slow process, says Ensearch president Peter Ho Yueh Chuen.

And in the many years of the bill’s drafting, tweaking and fine-tuning, the industry has been left in a limbo.

In order for industry to play its role, it needs to know the parameters and downstream industries like recycling must also know where they stand in the larger scheme of things.

"Something must be done after a wait of 10 years and it must be done soon."

Groups like Ensearch will be asking what role they can play as professional organisations.

The association feels that there is much professionals can help the ministry with, especially building capacity.

It is now working towards setting up the Institute of Environmental Professionals to help deal with issues of solid and scheduled waste and environment impact assessments.

The group expects the conference to be of interest to the public and would like to see discussion on public participation and a bigger role for non-governmental organisations.

There will also be a special session on scheduled waste during the two-day conference.

Much of the discussions will revolve around regulations introduced in 2005 and its impact on the industry in the past one-and-a half years, said Ensearch honorary secretary-general Geetha Kumaran.

Hot topics include the prohibition on the trading of scheduled wastes, and the lack of technology and finance to recycle scheduled waste in the country.

The WM 2007 is organised by Ensearch and the Ministry of Housing and Local Government. It will be held at Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre, Petaling Jaya on Aug 7-8.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Albuquerque's Environmental Story

Environmental Topic: Solid Waste Management
by Jennie V. Chavez and Angela Alberti

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Background and Future Planning
WASTE STREAM IN ALBUQUERQUE
FY 1992, Composition
Source: City of Albuquerque, Solid Waste Management Department
Solid waste disposal is one of Albuquerque's pressing environmental concerns--one that is growing every year. The city generates about 1,100 tons of waste per day. What to do and how to "take care" of all this waste, garbage, trash, refuse is an issue to be considered in city planning.

As defined by the Solid Waste Disposal Act, solid waste includes the nonhazardous solid, liquid, or contained gaseous refuse generated by industrial, commercial, and residential sources. While the definition covers many types of waste, public attention has focused on municipal solid waste (MSW), most of which is generated by commercial and residential sources.

Solid waste is regulated under Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Criteria by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets minimum technical requirements, but enforcement is left to the states. The 1990 New Mexico Solid Waste Act requires a solid waste management plan that encompasses the Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) hierarchy recommended by EPA. The hierarchy includes source reduction (precycling), recycling (and composting), combustion, or waste-to-energy processes, and landfilling. An immediate goal was set "to divert 25 percent of all solid waste from disposal facilities by July 1, 1995, and 50% by July 1, 2000."

Until the recent decade, waste had not been a major issue of concern. The invention of television and mass communication assisted in proliferating products that people wanted rather than needed. Disposables became popular with the fast-moving American public. The sources of pollution and waste increased dramatically. Few had noticed the problem until the Long Island garbage barge of 1986, which brought to public attention the crisis of waste disposal.

Plastic Lining
Cerro Colorado Landfill
In addition, the capacity for acceptable disposal sites is rapidly decreasing. Half of all the "dumps" operating in the 1980s were closed by 1995. All solid waste must be disposed of in modified or sanitary landfills. Small communities have to transport their wastes to EPA-regulated landfills. The cost of building one is enormous. Landfills are a series of "cells," which are individual sections designed and managed according to prescribed environmental regulations. Requirements include geologically sound sites, plastic liners, leachate trenches, compaction, and specific depth of dirt cover. The final cover is designed to prevent erosion, puddling, and leaching.

The declining number of landfills has caused communities to transport their wastes greater distances for disposal and has increased disposal costs. New Mexico, and Albuquerque in particular, have plentiful open spaces that may still be used for landfilling.

Several factors in finding a suitable site for a landfill must be considered. Locating landfills close to residential areas could unfavorably affect people and be unacceptable to the neighborhoods involved--thus the concepts of NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) and LULU (Locally Unacceptable Land Usage).

The improper handling of waste could effect changes not only to our soil and air but, most important, the quality of our water, the most precious commodity in the Southwest. Under the Middle Rio Grande Valley lies a basin-fill aquifer. This aquifer is a critical water source for Albuquerque and its surrounding area.

The Elements of Modern Waste Management
The citizens of Albuquerque are like other Americans who perceive that the right thing to do is to preserve natural resources and protect the environment from pollutants. Thus the Albuquerque public demanded that government play an active role in solid waste management. A waste characterization study and cost studies were conducted. Public forums gave citizens an opportunity to participate in the planning and development of solid waste management policy.

Albuquerque's Solid Waste Management Department thus developed and continues to implement the Comprehensive Integrated Solid Waste Management Program. The components of this modern infrastructure include the following elements:

Cerro Colorado Landfill
state-of-the-art landfill
recycling of secondary materials, including collection, an intermediate processing facility, marketing
household hazardous waste disposal center
yard waste collection and composting
new convenience center (transfer station)
automated residential collection.
The Cerro Colorado Landfill was constructed 20 miles southwest of the city and opened in 1991. Residential curbside recycling began in late 1992. The Intermediate Processing Facility was opened April 1993. The new north area convenience center, the Eagle Rock Convenience Center, opened in May 1994. Automated, city-wide refuse collection began in February 1995.
In 1993, the Solid Waste Association of North America recognized the Cerro Colorado Landfill by awarding it second place among 160 landfills in its landfill competition. Landfills were rated on the basis of environmental protection, cost, cleanliness, safety, and monitoring.

Glass Recycling Bins
The residential curbside pick-up of recyclables involves collecting secondary materials such as aluminum, steel cans, plastics, newsprint, and corrugated cardboard. The Albuquerque Environmental Health Department developed an oil recycling program and, with the Solid Waste Management Department, has developed a household hazardous disposal program. In addition, the Parks Management Department collects green waste from parks, which, along with yard waste from the convenience centers, is mixed with waste-water sludge at the Public Works Department's Soils Amendment Facility, where compost is made and then distributed directly back to the parks.
The automated collection system assists safety and sanitation, efficiency, and lowers Workers' Compensation Insurance costs.

The methods of disposal appropriate to our particular geographical location will continue to be evaluated. Financial disclosure to taxpayers is crucial for good decision making. Indeed, communities are being rated on how well they handle their waste.

The success of effective solid waste management is dependent on funding and support of the community and government. Education of the public in the economics, policies, and environmental impacts of waste management will influence how the public perceives and acts on this issue.

Future Technologies
Waste disposal methods of the future might include technologies already within our reach --landfill reclamation, mixed-waste compost as landfill layering, energy fuel from waste (i.e., extruded oil from tires), and self-contained industrial sites for manufacturing using secondary materials.

Conservation of natural resources and attitudinal changes in our consumption habits may be our most difficult educational goal. Over-packaging, early obsolescence and "throw-away" are integral parts of our modern way of life. It is essential to heighten public awareness regarding our consumption habits.

Waste to Compost
Soils Amendment Facility
A surprise came from a 1991 waste-characterization study: a large percentage of the city's waste stream was yard waste. The study was a response to the 1990 state legislation, the Solid Waste Act, which established a goal of diverting 25% of all solid waste from the disposal system by July of 1995 and 50% by July, 2000. Thus Public Works opened a pilot composting facility not far from the Cerro Colorado Landfill in southwest Albuquerque early in 1992. By June of that year, an interdepartmental program for composting green waste was in the works. Green waste is added to biosolids from the wastewater treatment facility. The program included the departments of Solid Waste Management and Public Works and Parks and General Services.

The interdepartmental program became a part of the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan in 1992. The department developed a two-pronged approach to yard waste diversion. The first part was to reduce the amount of green waste generated in the city; the second was to develop collection and processing programs to take care of the remainder of the waste.

Mulching Yard Waste
Residents are encouraged to do backyard composting, especially if their yard waste exceeds the capacity of the 90-gallon container, which the Solid Waste Department trucks with special electronic arms can pick up. Residents can also request special pick ups (for which they must pay special rates) or take the material to convenience centers. By encouraging reduction of yard wastes and the use of conveniences centers, the city enforces behavior consistent with the long-range goals of the 25% diversion of wastes from the landfill as well as the general goal of conserving water.

In addition to meeting state and national recycling goals and reducing costs, the city is helping people improve the soil. Compost increases soil microbial populations, provides nutrients, helps soil retain both water and nutrients, and helps prevent soil erosion.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Solid Waste Management

Solid waste management and collection/disposal of hazardous hospital waste
Khatib Ahmed writes about the need of availing alternative options for improving the solid waste management system in the city.

Karachi generates about 8000 tons of solid waste per day. 90% waste that is generated is recyclable. It is managed in the following manner:

• 40% reduced by informal sector which is now being recovered by private sector/market forces/in informal sector (No expense incurred by Government)

• 90% of all the recovered items are recycled and reused. Hospital Waste lying



Recycled items include

• Bones
• Glass (Scraps)
• Paper (Scrap/Cardboard)
• Plastics/Polyethylene
• Tin/Metals • Rubber/tyre & tubes
• Waste oil/grease
• 60% of the items are biodegradable/organic (vegetable, fruits matter and organic waste) which are not recoved and cause environmental hazards.

Organic Composting

Composting of Organic Waste is not being done. It is possible to compost the organic wastes on Community level for which the technology is available locally.

Technology is very simple and has been tested out in PCSIR Karach Laboratories and other organizations. Working models are also present in Karachi and few individuals are practicing it at their homes for biodegrading their kitchen and garden waste into compost which they use for their own gardens. If produced on a large scale, it will be more than sufficient to meet the entire requirement of manure by the city’s horticult u re department and also the nearby fields and orchards. These units already buy manure for their plots/garden, green belts.

Addition of compost to the manure improves the quality of soil and also reduces the quantity of manure purchased. Because of its water retention capacity, it helps reduce the water requirement for plants.

The city government should urgently attend to composting because by having a composting plant a sizeable quantity that has to transported to landfills will be diverted to composting plants.

The following documents are available for reference and recommendations from the Shehri office:

1. Promotion of Waste Recycling and Reused in Developing Countries, Study on behalf of UNCHS-Habitat, Nairobi, Kenya- by Khatib Ahmed of NTCS, Karachi.

2. A Citizens Guide to "Soild Waste Management" - by Farhan Anwar

3. Neighbourhood Level Solid Waste Management in Karachi - Issues and Solution - by Farhan Anwar.

4. Institutional Assessment & Evaluation of Public Facilities Management practices in Local Government. Solid Waste Management Sector of Karachi, A Case Study - by Farhan Anwar.

5. Report on Composting of Sabzi Mandi Waste - by Radia Khatib, Naseem F. Usmani, Mohammad Adil of PCSIR, Karachi.

6. Investigation into compostability of Zoological Garden Waste - by Radia Khatib, Naseem F. Usmani of PCSIR, Karachi.

7. Development and study on Low Cost Household/Community Level Composting Unit - by Radia Khatib, Naseem F. Usmani, Mohammad Adil of PCSIR, Karachi.

(Excerpts from a paper read by Mr. Khatib Ahmed, Chairman Shehri-CBE in a Seminar - October 6, 2001 - Solid & Hospital Waste Management, organized by Sindh Ombudsman Secretariat)


Solid waste management in Karachi
Rizwana Kazmi raises some important issues regarding the solid waste management system in Karachi and outline some plans for actions.

Karachi is Pakistan’s most important and the only port city. It is a hub of commercial and industrial activity, accommodating nearly 70 percent of the country’s total industry. The rapid growth of the city, lack of effective land use and proper and effective maintenance system of essential services have led to grave environmental problems. The magnitude of the solid waste problem of Karachi is often reflected in the print media. The findings of various research studies on the topic present supporting conclusion.



According to the daily "DAWN" dated February 27th,2002, Karachi alone produces about some 10,000 metric tones of solid waste daily out of which only 30 - 40 percent is transported and dumped into open landfills while the rest is either left unattended or is being burnt in-situ.

As per a study conducted by UNIDO, apart from industrial waste, another major and most dangerous source of solid waste generation is hospital, clinics and pathological laboratories. Out of many, only one hospital has its own incinerator while the rest rely on the two incinerators of the local government, one of which is not operational. Hospital waste includes toxic, radioactive inflammable and biological waste. A little mismanagement in this situation can cause spread of lethal diseases like Hepatitis C and HIV / AIDs.

The city has two landfill sites, each with an area of 500 acres and a combined capacity to absorb 2,000 tones of waste per days for 20 years.

Although the city’s landfills have the capacity to absorb most of the daily waste produced by the city, hardly 40 per cent of the waste is collected at a time due to lack of resources and poorly administered collection and disposal system with the result that much of the city’s waste goes un-collected for long periods.

Waste is scavenged and burnt in the populated areas exposing the residents to health hazards , adding to the already severe problem of air pollution and creating opportunities for pests to breed and for spread of diseases.

Recently, findings of a waste survey were published by Daily DAWN. According to the survey of Korangi and Landhi, which are highly industrialized regions of Karachi, the incidence of chest infections is alarmingly high in the areas where solid waste is burnt affecting the respiratory system of the inhabitants. According to government sources, about 75 percent of the people coming to hospitals are afflicted with respiratory infections. A majority of these patients live in the areas where solid waste is burnt. Medical experts are of the opinion that the residents living in close proximity to places where solid waste is burnt continuously inhale fumes and develop infections.

Solid waste, which is not collected or burnt, is thrown in drains, which results in choking of drains and further pollutes the environment.

In addition to this, 330 million gallons per day (mgd) of industrial and domestic effluent is also discharged into the sea every day and approximately 70 percent of it reaches the marine environment without any form of treatment having profound effect on the marine environment.

A proper system of solid waste management is lacking for the city and the various bodies responsible for waste disposal are inefficient. For a city with a rapidly expanding population, the existing waste management capacity is far too inadequate and outmoded and needs to be improved, otherwise the problem of ineffective solid waste management services will continue to haunt those living in urban areas.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Ong: Producers will have to recycle their bottles and cans

By NG SI HOOI
PETALING JAYA: Producers and manufacturers will soon have to take back their packaging materials such as aluminium cans and bottles for recycling or disposal.
“This will stop people from simply throwing them into garbage bins and the material sent to landfills,” said Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting.
He said the onus would be on producers and manufacturers to dispose of such packaging material once the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Bill, 2007 is gazetted.
“We will work out a mechanism on how to carry out the take-back rules after the laws are fully implemented,” he told a press conference after opening the waste management conference and exhibition 2007 at Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre here yesterday.
Section 102 of the Bill states that the minister may, by an order published in the Gazette, establish a take-back system.
It requires that specified products or goods after use shall be taken back by the manufacturer, assembler, importer or dealer and that the manufacturer, assembler, importer or dealer shall be obliged, on their own account and cost, to recycle or dispose any products or goods taken back in a specified manner, the Bill stated.
The Bill also states that the minister may establish a deposit refund system and determine the specified products or goods, the deposit refund amount, the labelling of the products or goods and the obligations of the dealers of the products or goods.
Anyone found guilty of going against the law will be fined not more than RM10,000 or jailed not more than six months or both.
The Bill was passed in Parliament last month.
Ong said many developed countries had adopted product take-back rules.
“This is an effective way to reduce waste.”
He also reminded the public that although it was not compulsory, recycling, reducing and reusing waste was important.
The move to implement a product take-back system was well received by most groups, with canned drink producers saying that they already have the proper mechanism in place.
However, the Malaysian Plastic Manufacturers Association was worried that the move would inflate the cost of plastic goods with consumers having to bear the cost increase.
Global Environment Centre director Faizal Parish said the take-back policy had worked well in other countries.
“However, this system should also cover electronic waste such as batteries, computers and mobile phones.”
Fomca adviser Prof Datuk Dr Hamdan Adnan welcomed the move and applauded Ong for making it mandatory for manufacturers and producers to take back “their own rubbish.”
Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers northern branch chairman Datuk O.K. Lee said the organisation would look into the matter.
Carlsberg brand manager Raffiq Ariff said the company recycled its glass bottles with its wholesalers picking up empty bottles from retailers.
“However, the worry is that the public does not recycle glass bottles or cans at home,” he said.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

RUBBISH LANDFILLS AT CRITICAL LEVEL

The New Straits Times, Thursday, 23 May 2002 Rubbish landfills at critical level
KUALA LUMPUR, Fri. - Alam Flora Sdn Bhd expects the amount of solid waste generated in its concession areas to double in the next 20 years, from 3.2 million to 7.7 million tonnes a year.
Alam Flora chief executive officer Mohamed Siraj Abdul Razack said this posed a big challenge as most of the 20 landfills have already reached the critical level.
These landfills can only handle 3.1 million tonnes of waste a year, while only three per cent of the wastes generated currently are reused or recycled.
"With landfills having reached critical levels, we will go on a big scale to promote the '3R programme' - reduce, reuse and recycle," he said.
He added that he hoped the recycling rate would reach 24 per cent by 2023.
Moreover, the number of landfills will be reduced to seven by 2023, catering for 3.6 million tonnes a year. The landfills will be in Sabak Bernam, Rawang, Pahang, Raub, between Maran and Jerantut, Kuantan and Rompin.
Siraj said of the 3.2 million tonnes of waste expected to be generated this year, only 3.1 million will be collected as the rest were in areas outside its jurisdiction or where there are no road access.
He said the company collected an average of 8,542 tonnes a day, and this was expected to increase to 16,172 tonnes per day by 2023.
Alam Flora was formed in December 1995 after being awarded the concession by the Government to take over solid waste management for 44 local authorities in Selangor, Pahang, Terengganu, Kelantan and Federal Territory including Putrajaya. He said Alam Flora has drawn up a 20-year master plan with an allocation of RM6 billion. The master plan (2002-2023) will be implemented when the concession is signed with the Federal Government as soon as Parliament passes the Solid Waste Management Bill.
It is learnt that the Bill and consequential amendments to the Local Government Act ready.
The Bill would transfer the rights on solid waste management from local authorities to the Federal Government which is empowered to enter into an agreement with Alam Flora.
Under the privatisation exercise, Siraj said the company will start composting waste in 2010, starting with 132,731 tonnes per year and increasing to 621,364 tonnes per year by 2023.
"A large incinerator costing RM1.5 billion is also scheduled to be completed by 2006," he said.
In 2010, 1.3 million tonnes of waste will be incinerated, gradually increasing to 1.7 million tonnes a year by 2023.
It is understood that another site in Selangor, believed to be somewhere in the south, is being identified for another incinerator.
The privatisation, Siraj said, includes the takeover of all staff, vehicles, facilities and contractors involved in the solid waste management activities from the local authorities.
Currently, Alam Flora has a workforce of more than 177 professional waste management engineers, planners and scientists as well as 4,200 workers.
Siraj said the master plan would see substantial capital works programmes in terms of construction of transfer stations, fully-engineered sanitary landfills, composting plants, drop-off centres, material recovery facilities, incinerators and other related facilities.
"We will also start replacing the 800 collection vehicles with more modern and 'leak-proof' vehicles to ensure a clean and efficient operation." He said bins will also be standardised in various sizes.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Solid Waste Generation Up By 500 Tonnes

Solid waste generation up by 500 tonnes

* Parliamentary secretary for environment says city needs more solid waste plants

By Adnan Lodhi

LAHORE: The solid waste generated by Lahoris in one year has increased by 500 tonnes due to which not only air pollution has increased but its disposal has also become a major problem for the Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD).

SWMD district officer Dr Tufail Ahmed Siddiqui said the department had recorded 5,000 tonnes of solid waste on a daily basis last year.

He said this year this ratio had reached 5,500 tonnes. He said the department had improved its solid waste lifting procedure this year. He said heaps of garbage was the basic reason of air pollution and its disposal was becoming a serious problem with the increasing population.

He said four solid waste sites had been constructed around the city. He said a composite plant was set up in Mehmood Booti near Bund Road. The plant, he said, had been converting garbage in to fertiliser. He said 25 percent of the total city’s solid waste had been converted in to fertiliser so far.

He said 383 vehicles were collecting solid waste and besides this the SWMD had set up nine camps in various towns of Lahore. Other than those nine camps, he said, two emergency camps were operational round the clock. He said the city district government had planned to set up 500 solid waste sites in a year across the city.

Environment Department district officer Tariq Zaman Khan said the unplanned urbanisation was the basic reason of increasing garbage generation and air pollution. He said the Environment Department had launched a number of programmes to educate people about health and environment. He said the department in collaboration with the city government was using different techniques to dispose off the waste. He said the techniques employed by the city government were not environmental friendly as most of the garbage was being burnt resulting in emission of poisonous smoke.

The Environment Department’s Research Laboratory director Shagufta Shah said the Lahoris were not environmental friendly, as they were producing more solid waste. She said throwing the solid waste in open could leave bad effects on environment by generating gases.

Parliamentary secretary for environment Saadia Humayun said the department was planning to acquire land at various places for dumping solid waste. She said, “The city needs more solid waste plants like Mehmood Booti.” She said land for other solid waste plants had been acquired in Sunder and Kahna areas.

Posted by Yee Gim Ping

Monday, August 13, 2007

Ways to reduce waste

WE discard with scant regard for what will happen to that polystyrene clamshell, an old pair of pants or half can of paint. Most of the stuff we cast off does not just disappear; they lie buried in dumps, soiling the ground and rivers with noxious liquids, and fouling the air with toxic gases and heat-trapping gases. The Earth is choking under all the chemical substances which we produce and dump.

Studies reveal that 80% of what we own is useless and redundant. So, think carefully before adding to what you already own. Be waste-wise and practise the 3Rs – reduce, reuse and recycle.

Don't add to waste heaps

Separate paper, plastics, metals, glass and aseptic carton for recycling. If you cannot drop them off at recycling centres, leave them outside for the garbage collector. Recycling saves the landscape from dumps, reduces usage of energy and raw materials, and prevents emissions of methane.

Compost your kitchen and garden waste

Return the nutrients and energy found in leftover food and yard trimmings back to the soil instead of dumping them at landfills. Find out more at compost.org.uk.

Aim for zero-waste

It's possible if you recycle all your trash, and then compost the remaining organic waste.

Close the loop

There’s no point recycling rubbish if you don’t buy recycled products.

Say 'No' to plastic bags

They do not degrade, mar the landscape and clog up rivers and seas. Plastics are derived from petroleum, so producing them emits greenhouse gases, too. Decline a plastic bag if your purchase is small and easy to carry. Try not to accumulate any new plastic bags for a week; you will see that it is not that difficult.

Bring a bag

Keep cloth bags in your car so they are always at hand should you decide to go shopping or marketing.

Use them again

Those plastic bags used to pack vegetables in supermarkets can be reused. Don't try to remove the price sticker as this will tear the flimsy bags. Turn them inside out instead.

Trash-free takeaways

Those small plastic bags and polystyrene clamshells used by foodstalls cannot be recycled. So, use reusable food containers and tiffin carriers when you bungkus or ta pau. Keep the containers handy in your car.

Shop at the pasar

Produce sold at wet markets is fresher and cheaper, and does not come wrapped in cling film or polystyrene. Don’t forget to bring along reusable containers for fish and meats, and a basket for everything.

Go for fresh

Why buy fruit juices in cartons and create waste? Recycling aseptic packaging, which is made of 75% paper, 20% polyethylene and 5% aluminium foil, uses up lots of water and energy. Furthermore, current collection for recycling is poor. Juice fresh fruits instead. It will be free of sweeteners, colourings, preservatives – and trash.

Lose the packaging

Shop with a critical eye and avoid buying stuff with excess packaging. Or, choose those with reusable or recyclable packaging. Cosmetics and perfumes tend to be over-packaged. Write to your favourite brand and ask them to trim the packaging and set up a refill scheme. Demand legislations which obligate manufacturers to minimise or take back packaging for reuse or recycling.

Buy refills

Choose cleaning products and toiletries such as dishwasher soap, floor cleaners, washing liquid and shower gel in refillable packs, which results in less trash.

Buy in bulk

Avoid products packed individually or for single use, such as beverage sachets or biscuits in small packs. Those foils are not recycled, and so add to waste heaps.

Avoid aluminium foil and plastic wrap

Cover food in the fridge and microwave with a plate or use a container with lid. Repair before replacing Mend things instead of throwing them away and purchasing new ones. Buy things that are durable.

Make more use of it

Avoid one-time use products such as disposal cutlery, plates, razors and pens. Choose products that can be reused, such as paper clips and refillable pens.

Buy second-hand

No, you’re not a cheapo; you’re being ecologically responsible. You will avoid consuming all the energy needed to produce and ship a new product.

Creative wrapping

Keep ribbons and wrapping paper from presents and hampers for future use. Wrap gifts in colourful magazine pages or use a paper gift bag which can be reused.

Go paper-less

Send e-cards and emails rather than letters, memos and cards. The pulp and paper industry is the world's fifth largest industrial consumer of energy and uses more water to produce a tonne of product than any other business.

Eliminate your paper trail

Print and photocopy on both sides; circulate documents via the Intranet; don’t print out your emails; reuse envelopes; use waste paper as notepaper, and cut up old cards to make gift tags. Every tonne of paper recycled will save 17 trees, 2,080 litres of oil and 5cu m of landfill space. Recycling 1kg of paper can save 2.5kg of greenhouse gases.

Say no to flyers

Decline or return promotional pamphlets distributed at public places if you’re not interested in what’s on offer. Refuse junk mail if you don’t want to read it.

Refill water bottles

Buy bottled water only when absolutely necessary and always send the PET bottles for recycling. Recovering just one bottle can save enough energy to power a 60watt light bulb for six hours.

Mind your e-waste

Send old computers, mobile phones, CDs, batteries and other electronics to a responsible recycler.

Bag your trash

When hiking in forest trails, always take your trash back with you. No garbage truck plies that route!

Think before you throw

Before discarding something, first consider how it can be reused.

Bring your own

Keep spare cutlery in your bag so that when eating at food courts, you won't have to use the disposable ones given.

Decline needless freebies

Why take that free mug, plate, cap or pin when you have no use for it? They'll just clutter your home and eventually end up as junk.

Tool pool

Many electrical appliances and gadgets are unnecessary. Besides, they consume energy, clutter our homes, cause pollution when produced and create trash when no longer useful. Borrow or share equipment which you don't use very often, or buy them second-hand.

Old but wearable

Donate old clothes to the poor, a charity or a recycling scheme. Some companies send them to countries like Cambodia and Vietnam, where they are sold as second-hand clothes.

Reuse old T-shirts

Use them as rags or kitchen towels.

Design for the environment

Make products which can be reused and recycled, and do not end up as waste.

Practise 'Green Purchasing'

Always choose goods which produce minimal waste and cause the least damage to the environment.

Buy only what you need

Every purchase you make affects the environment at every stage of its lifecycle – the manufacturing process consumes resources, pollutes the air and uses up energy, and it becomes waste when it’s no longer useful.

Don't be a mall rat

Take a break from consumerism and the “buy till you drop” culture. Support Buy Nothing Day (buynothingday.co.uk). Better still, why not do it once a week, or monthly?

Be a green shopper

Consider the following before buying something: What is its recycled content? Can it be reused or recycled when you're done with it? Is it excessively packaged?

Let's make a swap

Put up a box in your office for stuff which you no longer need but which others might find useful, such as toys, kitchenware, books, magazines, CDs, VCDs, DVDs, decor items, novelties and souvenirs.

Live simply

Every product we use, whether it’s a paper cup, dress or car, leaves an ecological footprint. Think about living with less, so as to tread lighter on Earth.

It looks like Malaysians will continue using plastic bags

PETALING JAYA: Manager Lynn C. shops in bulk at hypermarkets once every two months. She uses about 10 plastic bags for the groceries and she re-uses the bags for the household rubbish.

The 10 bags are insufficient. The mother of three said she forks out another RM10 per month to buy black garbage bags. She likes packing her rubbish in plastic bags because they are clean and do not leak.

The 45-year-old career woman knows plastic bags are not exactly a friend to Mother Nature.

“What alternative is there? There are biodegradable bags or paper bags on sale, but they are very difficult to find and are not cheap,” said Lynn, a resident in Taman Gembira, Klang, for the past 17 years.

She added that saving the world was not just about stopping the use of plastic bags.

“I think to make the world greener, it has to be a concerted effort by all parties – the Government, industries and people themselves. I am sure there are other more pressing issues to address,” she said.

As for other types of plastics available in the house, such as bottles, Lynn tries to reuse them.

Lynn is one of the millions of Malaysians who reuse plastic bags from hypermarkets to pack their rubbish. At least she does not ask for extra bags from the cashiers.

There are other customers who do – for they feel that asking for an extra plastic bag would do little to to dent the hypermarkets’ profit or harm the environment.

However, in the bigger scheme of things, that “extra plastic bag or two” adds up to the use of 250 million plastic bags a year.

This figure is only the tip of the iceberg because they include only the bags dispensed by Giant, Cold Storage and Carrefour. What aboutthe other hypermarkets, retailers, markets and hawkers?

The 250 million plastic bags weigh a hefty 1,260 tonnes, equivalent to 126,000 10kg packets of rice, and most of them end up in landfills.

Selangor executive councillor in charge of environment Datuk Ch’ng Toh Eng said rubbish kept in plastic bags was common in landfills.

“In Selangor, a person throws an average of 1.5kg of rubbish daily. There are four million people here. We throw out about 6,000 tonnes of rubbish every day.

“That is a very scary figure because we do not have land to create so many landfills,” said Ch’ng.

Landfills can also cause environmental problems. Last year, leachate from the Kundang dumpsite was blamed for the smelly piped water in parts of the Klang Valley.

A similar problem at the Sungai Kembong dumpsite led to the closure of the Sungai Semenyih water treatment plant.

With scarcity of land, the controversy surrounding the construction of incinerators and the teething problems faced by the Refuse Derived Fuel “intelligent landfill” plant in Semenyih (once touted as the answer to the country’s solid waste management), recycling remains a very promising way to reduce rubbish.

“Open dumpsites can cause pollution, such as stench, leachate into rivers and open burning,” said Ch’ng.

He said the state government seriously considered banning the use of polystyrene boxes in Selangor some four years ago.

“But we could not enforce the ruling because feedback from the public was not encouraging and some polystyrene box manufacturers told us they had invested heavily to set up factories,” he said, urging the people to give recycling a shot.

“Take containers when buying take-away food and carry baskets when doing your marketing. Use biodegradable bags,” Ch’ng said.

What a waste!

THIS deluge of plastic bags surrounding GCH Retail (M) Sdn Bhd corporate affairs manager Zamri Maulan is but a fraction of the millions of bags dispensed by Giant hypermarket each year to customers. A large percentage of them will end up in landfills, where they will remain for many years because plastic takes forever to degrade.


Selangor state executive councillor Datuk Ch'ng Toh Eng warns Selangor residents about having smelly landfills as neighbours if they continue to throw out 6,000 tonnes of rubbish daily.

Landfills are getting full, and there is hardly any more suitable land left to create new ones.

Incinerators are not popular and the “intelligent” Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) landfill in Kajang is facing teething problems.

Recycling seems to be the practical way out, a view shared by the Government and even the Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association.

The association, at the risk of losing some business, has proposed collecting back plastic bags for recycling

Mounting waste problem

By LOONG MENG YEE

PETALING JAYA: Nearly one year into service, the “solution” has now become a problem.

The landfill known as the Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) factory in Semenyih, about 60km from here, is stuck with 5,000 tonnes of post-process waste that it finds difficult to dispose of.

The RM130mil landfill features an integrated system to retrieve recyclable items; process solid waste into energy and reduce leftover waste into harmless inerts before being returned to the soil.

The post-processed waste was supposed to be thrown at the Sungai Kembong landfill, about 20km away.

However, that dumpsite had to close last year after it was found to be leaking leachate.

With Sungai Kembong closed, the RDF management could only send their waste to Bukit Tagar or Kuala Langat.

But since the cost is high because these landfills are located far away, the RDF management, as a temporary measure, has stored the post-processed waste in its own compound.

This has since grown into an ugly and stinking mountain of 5,000 tonnes of garbage.

People in the surrounding neighbourhoods have complained of a strong stench coming from the RDF, which is also affecting the Setia Ikhlas national service camp, barely 200m away.

Some frustrated residents have resorted to distributing pamphlets that warned parents visiting the camp that they were entering a “highly polluted zone”.

Following the public outcry, Selangor executive councillor Datuk Ch’ng Toh Eng, accompanied by officers from related departments, visited the factory yesterday to get first-hand information about the problems.

“To its credit, the factory has managed to recycle 70% of waste sent there,” he said.

“Otherwise, all the 15,000 tonnes (roughly equivalent to filling up 6,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools) will end up in landfills,” he added.

Ch’ng said the factory was working out the kinks and the RDF management had requested the state government to allow it to continue to send the post-processed waste to Sungai Kembong.

An alternative is to allow the Kajang Municipal Council to increase the tipping fee.

A third suggestion is to get the council to help transport the 5,000 tonnes of waste to Bukit Tagar or other suitable landfills.

Ch’ng said the state government disagreed with the first two suggestions because it did not want to burden the public.

The third request will be brought up at the state executive council meeting for discussion, he said.

Wise indeed to scrap Broga project

THE recent confirmation by the Government to scrap the Broga incinerator is indeed a wise move. With the huge capital and operational costs associated with such thermal treatment technology, I shudder at the thought of what the Government, and ultimately the householder, would otherwise have to fork out to finance the project.
In fact, there have been many cases in developing countries of abandoned, inoperable or badly polluting incinerators. In our own country, lessons should be drawn from the failed incinerator operations in Langkawi, Labuan , and Terengganu.
Burning waste is simply transferring land pollution to the air.
When we worry about pollution caused by waste dumps (and rightly so), we should not be confused and mixed up with engineered sanitary landfills.
Uncontrolled open dumps, common in Malaysia, must be clearly differentiated from sanitary landfills. A properly engineered sanitary landfill ensures effective mitigation of all forms of environmental pollution. It is the only form of disposal that restores waste by means of natural decomposition in the ground.
Despite its simplicity in design and operation, sanitary landfills are normally the most cost-effective and environmentally acceptable means of waste disposal.
Furthermore, sanitary landfills have the virtue of being a disposal option that confers environmental improvement by restoring derelict land or improving undesirable contours. It is still very widely adopted even in developed countries and its technology has improved by leaps and bounds in recent years.
Even densely populated places like Hong Kong deal with its waste without resorting to the costly incinerators or other thermal treatment plants.
Indeed, a properly engineered landfill suitably located would be the prudent solution to the solid waste problem for a country like Malaysia that does not face space problems as acute as Hong Kong or the UK.
The wanton acclamation of certain incineration technologies may be welcome news for some profit-hungry suppliers, but I fear it can be disastrous for our nation’s coffers.
For Malaysia, where poor maintenance often condemns high-tech imported machinery to the scrapyard, and where high moisture content severely inhibits waste combustion, sanitary landfills will always be miles ahead of incineration as a cost-effective technology for dealing with our domestic solid waste.
While it may be unwise to abandon our quest for technical excellence in every endeavour, it will be equally foolish to let over-enthusiasm and desperation blind our common sense and grasp at any solution offered by foreign companies.
As a developing nation with unique social, political, economic, climatic and geographical characteristics, we must make educated and calculated decisions on the application of appropriate technologies.

PROF IR DR HASSAN BASRI,
Professor of Environmental Engineering, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

Saturday, August 4, 2007

CAP: Phase out waste incineration

By NG SU-ANN

THE Government should phase out all forms of waste incineration by 2020, said Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) president S.M. Mohamed Idris.

If the European Union and the Philippines could manage their waste without incineration, Malaysia with its Vision 2020 should not use this obsolete, dirty and unsafe technology, he said.

“Malaysia must make waste reduction, reuse and recycling the cornerstone of its policy on waste management and zero-waste its target,” he said at a CAP forum on incinerators recently.

His speech was read out by his vice-president Mohideen Abdul Kader.

Idris said there was suffi- cient evidence to show that no matter how innovative or ad-vanced or in whatever other guise, incinerators inevitably produced toxic emissions, ashes and residue.

“There is enough scientific evidence implicating the impact of incinerator-driven dioxin releases on human health and well-being,” he added.

He suggested municipal recycling programmes include composting garden waste and imposing “pay-as-you-throw” garbage collection fees.

An American presenter, Gree-naction for Health and Environ-mental Justice director Bradley Angel, said there were several companies which claimed that their incinerators had zero emissions, were pollution-free and could convert waste into renewable energy.

“However, when we asked them for details and evidence, they could not produce them,” he said, adding that no technology could make everything disappear.

Malaysia looking for better solid waste management

TOKYO: Malaysia will continue to look at other viable options for good solid waste management that is also environment-friendly and affordable.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said although Malaysia was currently focused on sanitary landfills, the Government would continue to look at other options for its waste management.
“That is also why I am in Japan because I chair the Cabinet committee that makes decisions on solid waste management and will visit an incinerator plant here.”
He was asked by a Japanese businessman on the Government’s plans for solid waste management as it involved a huge sum of money.
Najib, who is on a four-day visit here, had earlier delivered an address at a business luncheon here on business opportunities in Malaysia.
He visited the Chuo incinerator plant for a first hand look at how garbage collected from around Tokyo is processed and turned into wallpaper, recycled concrete and plasterboard.
The plant has the capacity to process 600 tonnes of rubbish daily and pollutants are released within self imposed limits.
The heat generated through incineration by plant, built in July 2001 for some 30 billion yen (RM900mil), is used for power generation and heat supply. The plant is also situated near residential areas.
Also present at the briefing were Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting and Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis.