By: Zaki Salleh
KAMPAR: Solid waste management is not merely about collection and disposal — it is a system that requires awareness, technology, shared responsibility and concrete action.
The most effective approach begins at home—by reducing food waste and practising recycling, everyone can reduce the volume of trash generated.
Perak Housing and Local Government Committee chairman Sandrea Ng said that even today’s smallest effort can help protect the environment for future generations.
According to her, the primary method of solid waste management in Perak still relies on open dumping.
“This means all our food waste, plastic, electronic items and so on are eventually sent to landfill sites and buried there.
“But we are facing two main challenges: a low recycling rate and high volumes of wet food waste, which complicate the disposal process,” she said.
Sandrea was speaking during a visit to the Kampar District Council (MDK) landfill site with Gopeng MP Tan Kar Hing.
The landfill, which began operations in 1990, spans 85.8 acres and is expected to remain in use until 2040, giving it a projected lifespan of 50 years.
Sandrea said more than 20,000 tonnes of waste are brought to the site annually.
“MDK has been actively implementing various initiatives, including the collection of used cooking oil, e-waste recycling, composting of food waste, as well as awareness programmes in schools and among local communities.
“It is also among the earliest local authorities in Malaysia to adopt the Integrated Waste with Bridge (IWWB) system, which incorporates technologies such as digital registration, RFID, CCTV, weighbridge systems and cashless payments to manage domestic waste,” she added.
