Malaysia's Recycling Rate Increased To 33% This Year, Says SWCorp Chief
The increase is in line with the country's target of reaching a 40% recycling rate by 2025.
By May Vin Ang — 05 Dec 2022, 12:09 PM
The national recycling rate increased to 33.17% this year, with the total amount of recycled goods reaching 4.626 million tonnes
According to Bernama, Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) chairperson Datuk Rizalman Mokhtar said the increase is in line with the 12th Malaysia Plan's target of reaching a 40% recycling rate by 2025.
He announced the national recycling rate at the 3R Family Appreciation Ceremony that was held in conjunction with National Recycling Day 2022 in Arau, Perlis on Sunday, 4 December.
The latest national recycling rate is higher than last year's rate of 31.52%.
Rizalman also announced that the Ministry of Housing and Local Government is drafting a new solid waste management policy that emphasises sustainability
The policy will emphasise on the practice of "sustainable consumption and production" to achieve the target of a circular economy.
"We are working towards more efficient solid waste management that can reduce increasing costs, as well as reduce the negative impact on society and the environment," he said in his speech last night.
He added that the ministry is also developing the framework to implement 'extended producer responsibility (EPR)' in the country
In the field of waste management, EPR is a strategy in which producers are given more responsibility – financial and/or physical – over the disposal of their products post-consumer use.
Rizalman said the approach places more environmental costs and responsibility on local producers than individual consumers, which will also reduce the government's financial burden in the country's waste management.
In 2020, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) found that Malaysia is among the worst consumers of plastic packaging in Asia:
No effort is too small in the fight against pollution. Here are other ways you can reduce, reuse, and #recycle: