Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Malaysia gets its first facility to help improve solid waste segregation

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia has received its first small-scale Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), which is expected to improve segregation of recyclable materials from trash, hence reducing the amount of solid waste dumped at landfills.
The RM600,000 facility is set to process some 2,100 tonne of solid waste collected everyday at the Jeram Sanitary Landfill in Kuala Selangor.
A six-month pilot run for the facility revealed that it could boost the recovery of recyclables up to 10 times more than manual segregation efforts.
"Before the MRF, there was manual recovery, which gives about 1%- 2% of recovery.
"With the MRF in the pilot trial, the recovery rate is up to 22% based on 50 tonnes (of solid waste) per day," Tetra Pak (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd communications and environment director Terrynz Tan said at a press conference after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) here Monday.
The company had initiated the small-scale MRF project and the MoU signified the handover of the operations of the facility to Worldwide Landfills Sdn Bhd, which operates the Jeram sanitary landfill.
Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung, who witnessed the signing of the MoU, urged more private companies to step forward in support of recycling efforts including the sponsorship of more small-scale MRF in other landfills in the country.
There are 165 landfills nationwide with only eight that qualified as sanitary landfills.
"For now, the recycling rate in our country is very low, only at an average of 5%.
"With one MRF, I don't think it can make much difference unless there are more (and) unless (there is greater) consciousness among the people to practise the (separation of trash)," Chor said, adding that 22,000 people were expected to take part in a run to be held simultaneously in all state capitals on Nov 17 to raise the awareness on recycling.

Source by: The Star

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