Separate your waste or face consequences

Focus

By VEISHNAWI NEHRU

21 Jun 2023 12:28pm

Separate your waste or face consequences - FILEPIX

SHAH ALAM - The Federal Territories Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) has vowed to come down hard on offenders next year, urging residents of strata buildings in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya to start separating waste.

SWCorp director Ummi Kalthum Shuib said they have visited 294 joint management bodies (JMBs) and management committee (MCs), and 150 of them have complied with the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Act 672).

“From Jan 1, SWCorp enforcement officers will issue a show-cause letter if any JMB or MC is found to not comply with Act 672.

“The JMB or MC will be given a one-month time period to rectify the matter, failing which compounds will be issued.

“For non landed properties, offenders will be liable for a compound of between RM100 and RM500. If prosecuted and found guilty, the fine will not exceed RM1,000 and repeat offenders will continue to be prosecuted,” she said.

She added out of 311 landfills in the country, 174 have been closed but the government is still spending more than RM100 million annually to treat them and lessen their harm to the environment.

“That leaves only 137 landfills in operation, but only 21 are sanitary with controlled disposal of solid waste and the other 116 landfills are still causing harm to the environment,” she said.

She said the national recycling rate stands at 33,17 per cent and the national target is set to hit 40 per cent by 2025.

“Many still lack awareness of the need to recycle and reduce waste.

“There are no landfills in Kuala Lumpur and waste is sent to the transit point before being moved to landfills for the final deposit.

“We used to have 40 prime movers to transport the waste, but after 20 years of operation, we only have fewer than 10 running, which is why there are delays in waste collection sometimes.

“The second transfer station in Kuala Lumpur is scheduled to be completed between September and January next year, after which the waste collection operations will improve,” she said.