KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Recycling Alliance (Marea) has partnered with Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) to encourage Ampang Jaya residents to embrace better practices in solid waste separation at source and provide collection for recycling.
The launch of the Ampang Jaya High-Rise Collection Programme saw more than 9,100 households from 23 high-rise residences participating in this collective effort to raise the national recycling rate and reduce waste sent to landfills.
Through Marea's support, this will deliver a customised communication, education and public awareness programme focused on increasing the quantity and quality of recyclables from households.
Marea chief executive officer Roberto Benetello said Malaysia is facing a critical environmental challenge with overflowing landfills and a national recycling rate of only 33 per cent in 2022.
"Recycling and separation at source is a collective responsibility. Our initiative in Ampang Jaya with the support of MPAJ allows us to directly engage residents, educate them in carrying out proper waste separation at source and provide collection for recycling services directly at their doorstep.
"Collection initiatives such as this are critical in helping us understand recycling challenges at the grassroots. These learnings are important in improving recycling efforts and design nationwide, to achieve the national recycling rate target of 40 per cent by 2025," he said in a statement.
Marea will also support regular recyclables collection through dedicated vehicles and personnel, as well as sorting of recyclables.
This programme is one of the alliance's voluntary extended producer responsibility initiatives as an industry-led coalition in collaboration with local authorities to foster shared environmental responsibility among communities.
Bumi Waste Management (M) Sdn Bhd has been appointed as the collector for this initiative. It employs a mechanism to compensate strata janitors for their efforts in sorting and aggregating recyclables at strata level.
This mechanism improves the quality of recyclables collected and ensuring consistent and reliable post-consumer recyclables streams.
Meanwhile, GreenSteps Malaysia has been appointed to help empower community leaders in participating high-rise residences in creating positive change to recycling behaviour among grassroots.
