Jalan Cenderai 2 residents A. Selvadurai and Usha Devi (squatting) painting a spot to place dustbins in the backlane. Looking on are (standing, from left) Izhar, Ummi Kalthum, Jalan Cenderai 2 resident R. Uma and Murali (right). —SS KANESAN/The Star
LUCKY Garden residents in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, have been chosen for two initiatives by the Federal Territories Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) as a way to encourage recycling and use of dustbins.
The two initiatives are dustbin placement marking and “Trash To Cash” programme.
The first one saw square boxes painted along the back lanes of Bangsar’s Jalan Cenderai to place the bins, while the second is a campaign to encourage the community to exchange their recyclables for cash.
“The bin placement marking is SWCorp’s intervention method to address certain recurring problems and to ensure Kuala Lumpur residents comply with waste management procedures, as outlined in the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleaning Act 2007 (Act 672),” said SWCorp deputy chief executive officer (management) Murali Jayabalan in his speech at the event.
These problems, he said, included residents refusing to place dustbins outside their homes for collection, ground-floor unit occupants refusing to share bins with upper level units in stratified properties and residents not separating waste at source.
He said the 120L-sized mobile dustbins provided for residential properties in Kuala Lumpur belonged to the government, although they were managed by Alam Flora.
“The bin placement marking method is aimed at reducing the number of waste management-related complaints and making residents aware of the rubbish collection schedule,” he added.
For residential properties in Kuala Lumpur, domestic waste is collected twice weekly while bulk waste and recyclables are collected once a week.
The recyclables have to be sorted according to categories and placed next to the bins on collection days.
“The waste separation-at-source rule has been mandatory since September 2015 and those found flouting it can be fined up to RM1,000,” said Murali, noting that rubbish remained a big issue in Malaysia.
“We need the people’s cooperation to increase our recycling rate which is 33.17% as of 2022, in order to reduce the amount of rubbish sent to landfills,” he said.
Also present at the event were Federal Territories SWCorp director Ummi Kalthum Shuib and Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil’s political secretary Izhar Yusof.
Ummi Kalthum said the dustbin placement marking method had been tested in residential and commercial areas in Jalan Attap and Sungai Besi Commercial Centre early this year and in Taman Mulia last year.
“The method has been effective as the streets are cleaner and more organised.
“It is also a way of making both property occupants and rubbish collection workers more disciplined, as both parties have to ensure the bins are correctly placed and returned after collection,” she said.
Ummi Kalthum said other Kuala Lumpur communities interested in taking part in the two initiatives could contact SWCorp.
“For ‘Trash To Cash’, we will work with resident groups to create awareness and promote the programme at least two weeks prior to collection date.
“Besides recyclables, items such as ewaste, old batteries, light bulbs and used cooking oil can also be exchanged for cash,” she added.
Jalan Cenderai 2 resident Usha Devi welcomed SWCorp’s initiative for the neighbourhood, noting that awareness and education were important to ensure its continuity among residents.
“Our challenge here is that there are many foreign workers in the neighbourhood.
“Instead of throwing rubbish into the bins, they leave them on top or next to the bins.
“Alam Flora has been quite proactive in managing the dustbins, such as having them replaced if they are worn out,” said Usha, a resident of over 30 years.
It is estimated that 38,000 tonnes of rubbish are collected daily nationwide, with Kuala Lumpur’s collection alone standing at 2,200 tonnes.
The government is targeting a recycling rate of 40% by 2025. Jalan Cenderai 2 residents A. Selvadurai and Usha Devi (squatting) painting a spot to place dustbins in the backlane. Looking on are (standing, from left) Izhar, Ummi Kalthum, Jalan Cenderai 2 resident R. Uma and Murali (right). — SS KANESAN/The Star
