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Media Release
PERAK INITIATES WASTE MANAGEMENT EFFORT TO REDUCE
POLYSTYRENE WASTE
Kamunting, Perak, 19 August 2016
- The Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA)
Polystyrene (PS) Sub-Committee and the Koperasi Alam
Hijau Perak (KOHIJAU), today signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) whereby MPMA PS Sub-Committee
will take back post consumer PS waste collected by
KOHIJAU in Perak. The MOU was signed and exchanged
at the launch of National Co-operative Day 2016 (Hari
Koperasi Negara 2016) for Perak in Kamunting,
Taiping.
Mr Sri Umeswaran, Chairman of the MPMA PS
Sub-Committee said, ‘I applaud KOHIJAU for taking
the initiative to collect PS recyclables as it
signifies their commitment towards waste
management.’
He added that all too often people lay the blame for
litter on PS and plastics in general without
understanding that litter is caused by people - and
not products, and litter is a waste management
problem.
Mr Johnson Phoon, Chairman for MPMA Perak Branch
said, ‘According to a report in the news, plastics
account for 13% of total waste, and of this 13%, PS
accounts for only 1.4%. MPMA has been saying that
many of the plastics item thrown by the public,
including PS, is recyclable. Meaning, plastics waste
does not belong in the landfill, but needs to be
collected and sent to a recycler for recycling. In
this manner the waste going to the landfill is
reduced.’
Mr Phoon also said that unlike plastic products,
degradable waste is supposed to go to the landfill
as it is “expected” to degrade at the landfill. This
in essence means using degradable products does not
reduce but instead increases waste going to the
landfill. He called on the authorities to undertake
a study as to whether degradable products can
degrade under landfill conditions and whether there
are any greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted during the
process.
Mr Phoon said, ‘If degradable products do not
degrade under landfill conditions, this means that
using degradable products only increases waste at
the landfill. And if degradable products release
GHGs when degrading, then this means using
degradable products will only contribute to global
warming. These 2 conditions do not apply to plastic
products as plastics is not meant to go to the
landfill - they are recyclable and do not release
GHGs. Therefore a proper study needs to be taken on
degradable products at the landfill.’
Mr Phoon also thanked KOHIJAU for taking a positive
step towards waste management as this is needed to
manage waste generation in Perak.
With regards to waste management, Mr Sri Umeswaran
said steps such as proactive action against
littering, promoting environmental concepts such as
3Rs, encouraging waste separation amongst the public
so that recyclable waste can be collected and sent
to recyclers for recycling, must be put in place as
part of a waste management plan.
MPMA PS Sub-Committee members consist of main
polystyrene manufacturers in the country namely
Tycoplas Sdn Bhd, Shangwei Industries Sdn Bhd,
Panagawa Sdn Bhd,
Logomas Packaging Sdn Bhd,
Megafoam Containers Enterprise Sdn Bhd, TLG
Packaging Sdn Bhd, YS Foam Industries Sdn Bhd and
Zhaori Packaging Industries (M) Sdn Bhd. |
