KUALA LUMPUR: A specific law that supports sustainable food waste management, similar to Japan's, will be introduced in Malaysia soon.
Housing and Local Government (KPKT) Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican told the Dewan Rakyat today that KPKT was currently collaborating with the Japanese Environment Ministry to develop food waste management guidelines.
He said no timeline had been set for the new act to be introduced in addressing the food wastage issues in the country.
Nevertheless, Reezal said KPKT was now in the final stage of submitting a new policy and direction for national solid waste management.
This, he said, was part of Putrajaya's efforts to accelerate the transition from the concept of solid waste management in a linear economy to a cyclical economy.
"The implementation of this cyclical economy will increase the value of the entire solid waste management chain, including food waste, which will reduce the delivery of waste to landfills.
"KPKT is currently reviewing Act 672 (Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007) to strengthen the elements of the cyclical economy as a whole. The current enforcement of Act 672 covers all types of controlled solid waste, including food waste.
"However, the implementation of this act is limited to a number of states that adopt Act 672, as well as the household and industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) sectors and the construction sector."
He said the act did not cover all food manufacturing sectors or the food industry as a whole and would involve only seven states nationwide.
Reezal said the current revision of the act would allow KPKT to focus on a more systematic and comprehensive implementation of food waste management.
He said the ministry was also planning to develop three guidelines to address issues on food waste generators in the household sector, as well as the ICI sectors.
"All initiatives implemented by KPKT are in line with the Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, which is to halve global food waste per capita at the retail and consumer levels, as well as reduce food losses throughout the production and supply chain, including post-harvest losses by 2030."
Reezal said this in response to a question by Che Alias Hamid (Pas-Kemaman), who asked about the ministry's intention to formulate an act to address food wastage issues in Malaysia, which he said was increasing every year.