As prosperity increases, living standards rises as well and this contributes to the volume of waste being generated. According to the Malaysian Investment Development Authority, waste generated in Malaysia in 2005 was 19,000 tons per day at a recycling rate of 5% and this number eventually rose to 38,000 tons later in 2018.
With limited space for landfills and rising costs of disposal, there is increased pressure and urgent need to tackle the waste management issue and reduce the impact on the environment and general well-being of the population.
“Solid waste management landscape in the Malaysia has a lot of room for improvement to be at par with advanced countries like United Kingdom, Japan and Switzerland,” says Hj Ramli Mohd Tahir, Managing Director, KDEB Waste Management.
He highlights that the current methodology approach of solid waste management in Malaysia is still using sanitary landfills, and they are now overflowing with rubbish. If the situation continues and is not addressed, it will result in scarcity of land area for landfills and landfills he says are one of the major contributors of greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change and global warning.
“The state of Selangor itself generates 7,000 tons domestic waste and 3,000 bulk waste a day which totals 10,000 tons waste generation per day, making the state the highest generator of waste and indirectly KDEBWM the largest waste collector in the country,” he says.
Based on data released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia, the recycling rate in Malaysia in 2020 is 28.1 %.
Compared to neighbouring country, Singapore, the island nation is ahead with a recycling rate of 34% and much more advanced South Korea with a recycling rate of 53.7% – which is the highest among countries in the Asian region.
Change Over The Years
“It cannot be denied that the waste management landscape has changed over the years. The government and the state have played an integral part in improving the waste management in Malaysia. We could no longer depend on disposal at landfill and recycling,” Hj Ramli says
KDEBWM has been mandated by the Selangor State Government to develop a Waste Disposal Facilities in the state. The team behind the waste management service provider could see that the waste management in Malaysia is currently shifting to a smart and modern waste management.
“People want a smart solution in waste management industry and KDEBWM has been providing the best smart solutions and are committed to provide the best services for the people in Selangor and for the whole country.
“And I believe that everyone from the policy makers, government, municipalities, and waste management companies are playing a pivotal role in providing smart and effective waste Speaking of waste, KDEBWM handles on a day-to-day basis, Hj Ramli says the work begin in stages. Initially, KDEBWM took over the waste management in Klang for domestic collection in 2016 and by 2020, they have completed the takeover exercise of waste management scope at all 12 local authorities in Selangor.
Currently, there are a total of more than 1,000 subcontractors registered with KDEBWM whereby having a total of more than 10,500 crews including truck drivers, domestic collection crews and public cleaning.
“We chose the best 1,000 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as subcontractors via open tender to collect waste and carry out public cleansing. This is a huge responsibility and trust for all of us in ensuring that these subcontractors and all ground workers continue to work with full commitment and dedication of 365 days a year,” he shares with Business Today.
There are two types of costs involved when managing waste in Selangor: collection and public cleansing, which is KDEBWM’s business; and disposal. KDEBWM collects domestic waste (for example kitchen waste from shops and houses), and conducts public cleansing like cutting grass, road- sweeping, cleaning drains, and collecting bulky waste.
Utilising Technology
To date, KDEBWM has over 500 compactor trucks, nearly 600 Armroll trucks, six Water Jetters, one Catch Basin Cleaner and two Road Sweepers to carry out collection and public cleaning work throughout the state of Selangor.
KDEBWM now has the largest fleet of trucks in Malaysia to deal with Selangor’s waste. These trucks are equipped with the latest technologies, such as GPS trackers and CCTV which connected to a Centralised Command Centre (CCC) located at our Headquarters here in Shah Alam. Additionally, KDEBWM’s Centralised Command Centre is able to monitor the location and performance of their assets, ensuring quick turnaround time and also collects, analyses and addresses feedbacks about waste management services.
This information will be relayed to the local council for further improvement.
Furthermore, Hj Ramli says the use of innovative technologies by KDEBWM such as the Centralised Command Centre and the iClean Selangor Apps is truly commendable because it ensures top quality waste collection and public cleansing services, not just in one but all 12 of Selangor municipalities.
The application of smart technologies around waste management smarter enforcements of operations.
Upholding UNSDGs
As a corporate entity, KDEBWM is also responsible in performing its social role and not just based on services alone.
“I am thankful, this throughout our services since 2016, we have implemented a large amount of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in helping especially to the people, for instance, the Asnaf, People with Disabilities, charitable bodies, religious, schools, universities for education and so on.
“We have also set up a Covid-19 Contribution where the company and employees have successfully raised financial funds to purchase necessities for those affected by the Covid-19 outbreak,” he adds.
The Managing Director further highlights the company upholds the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals under Goal 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production where targeting by 2030, to substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse.
Meanwhile, the contribution of recycling bins aims to encourage recycling practices among the residents and the community and support the residents’ efforts in responding to the recycling campaign in residential areas.
KDEBWM has also been working with external organizations including higher institutions and schools such as UPM, UiTM, KPDNHEP, etc in empowering recycling activities.
Promoting A More Effective Way
Hj Ramli has also urged the government to continue promoting a more effective way of waste management by encouraging recycling and waste operations as well as ultimately reducing landfill wastes.
He says planning alongside efficient resource allocation and management is vital in achieving a sustainable solid waste management system.
“We hope that more budget could be allocated for waste management and waste disposal as the amount of waste generated is increasing each year due to the increasing population and development, and recycling rate is low,” he highlights.
What The Future Holds
“Apart from the disposal facilities, we are also committed in implementing recycling initiatives in Selangor. In March this year, KDEBWM has just launched our second recycling centre in Bandar Bukit Puchong, Subang Jaya,” Hj Ramli shares.
The Recycling Centre has been operating since early November last year as a one-stop centre for Compactors and Arm Roll lorries, especially under the administration of the Subang Jaya City Council in collecting recyclable waste. Another Recycling Centre is in Meru, Klang.
KDEBWM is also planning to handle scheduled waste aiming to improve efficiency of the value chain for Waste Management in Selangor.