July 31, 2025
PETALING JAYA – Although recycling rates in Malaysia are increasing, the country’s solid waste generation is rising at a faster rate, resulting in a significant amount of recyclable waste being sent to landfills.
Because of this, environmentalists are worried that we are at risk of “drowning” in our own trash.
With this bleak possible future, environmentalists say gaps in recycling systems, public education and enforcement must urgently be addressed as the country’s waste output soars.
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Solid waste generation in the country was at 15.2 million tonnes in 2024, and it is expected to increase to 15.38 million tonnes in 2025 and 17.03 million tonnes by 2035, according to Housing and Local Government Minister (KPKT) Nga Kor Ming on Dec 5 last year.
The figure is almost a million tonne increase from estimated solid waste generated in 2023 (14.25 million tonnes), which had only risen marginally from 2019 (13.89 million tonnes) to 2022 (13.96 million tonnes), according to data from KPKT.
Ministry data also revealed that recyclable household solid waste collected by concession companies had only marginally increased from 2,146 tonnes in 2019 to 5,830 tonnes in 2023.
Environment Protection Society of Malaysia vice-president Randolph Jeremiah said a robust 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) ecosystem is needed through coordinated policy and infrastructure development.
“This should include a mandate on manufacturers to implement extended producer responsibility (EPR) and ‘take-back’ systems, where they have to take greater accountability for post-consumer waste, including collection and recycling.
“Local authorities should create more strategically located community recycling centres and collection points.”
He said there must also be enhanced enforcement of the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007, which mandates household waste separation into recyclables and non-recyclables.
EcoKnights president Amlir Ayat said the drastic solid waste increase was due to low recycling participation rates among the public who lacked strong incentives.
“People are generally aware of the importance of disposing of their waste in the right places but lack any sort of motivation or pressure to do so.
“The issue is made worse by the array of common products that are not produced to be sustainable such as non-biodegradable plastic packages,” he said.
The most viable long-term solution is a continuous holistic education, awareness and pressure campaign to slowly develop 3R habits among the people.
“This must involve a continuous delivery of the right but simple messages from the public and educational institutions on the critical necessity of managing solid waste to the people.
“Combined with a holistic and integrated programme to elevate such practices as a part of high-value and fulfilling lifestyle, this would encourage more people to want to adopt it,” he added.
SWCorp chief executive officer Khalid Mohamed said that while Malaysia’s national recycling rate has increased to 37.9% in 2024 from 35.38% in 2023, a significant portion of recyclable material still ends up in landfills.
“This includes materials such as plastics, paper and metals, being dumped at landfills either due to severe contamination of the material itself and inadequate recycling infrastructure,” he told The Star.
SWCorp said it is planning a gradual 2% increase in recycling facilities in states that have adopted the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007.