KUALA LUMPUR: Waste management authorities need to boost their enforcement of proper disposal of waste, especially hazardous chemicals.
This comes in light of the illegal dump in Kampung Tambak Jawa, Selangor, where drums of hazardous chemicals caught fire and exploded on Monday (Nov 25)
Earlier this month, 250 drums of glycerin were also found dumped on the banks of Sungai Klang.
It is an alarming indication of the rising occurrence of secret and illegal disposal of waste said the Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA) and the Malaysian Plastics Recyclers Association (MPRA).
“The rising number of reports of illegal dumping is of great concern because whether into rivers or on idle land, illegal dumping threatens the environment and, in the long term, our health and safety.
“It also costs money, in the form of clean-ups or healthcare, or even a drop in the value of property in the vicinity.
“Ultimately, the bulk of this cost is borne by the public, either as taxpayers or customers”, MPMA and MPRA said in a joint statement, today.
The two associations representing plastic manufacturers and recyclers said to reduce illegal dumping, the authorities must examine and understand where and why such leakages occur, and address the gaps to create effective waste management for Malaysia.
To do this requires wider collaboration among all parties involved from regulators to business and industry and to consumers and households, they added.
They said that regulators were not limited to the National Solid Waste Management Department and the Department of Environment, but included local authorities in every state as well as the Department of Irrigation and Drainage.
“Illegal dumping is driven by economic incentives and convenience, and the absence of punishment, or ineffective enforcement, as was demonstrated earlier this year with the “sampah plastik” (plastic waste) issue.
“Illegal dumping, like littering, is also a behavioural issue which cannot be addressed through blanket bans.
“It must be addressed as an infrastructure and system design issue and not just as an enforcement issue,” MPMA and MPRA said.
They said addressing and preventing illegal dumping and littering, such as that involving the plastic waste would require a problem-solving approach, rather than knee-jerk measures like blanket bans.
“Careful analysis must be applied to identify the right measure or policy intervention in the design of an effective waste management system, preventing pollution and protecting the environment.
“These include economic and social incentives to facilitate and promote behaviour change, and not just physical facilities.
“We also need a multi-stakeholder collaboration from all parties across the value chain from government, brand owners, retailers, NGOs and consumers and industry,” the two associations stressed.
MPMA and MPRA said they were committed to developing a clean, vibrant and healthy plastics recycling industry that would boost the country’s recycling rate and contribute to a cleaner, greener Malaysia.