BUTTERWORTH, Dec 19 — Penang is set to reintroduce the Waste Segregation at Source Policy starting July next year, said State Local Government, Urban and Rural Planning Committee chairman Jason H’ng Mooi Lye.

The policy was previously enforced for three years from 2017 but was halted in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

H’ng said it is important to reinstate the policy to help reduce environmental pollution, preserve the delicate balance of ecosystems and streamline waste management processes to achieve cost efficiency.

"We need the cooperation of the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) and Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP), as well as Local Authorities and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to raise awareness about the reinstated policy before its enforcement in July 2024,” he said after officiating at the Ampang Jajar Integrated Solid Waste Management Centre (ISWMC) here today.

H’ng designated January to June as an educational phase, urging local authorities and NGOs to leverage social media and on-site programmes for information dissemination as many may have forgotten about waste separation.

Meanwhile, on the ISWMC, H’ng said the project is the first in Malaysia to utilise domestic waste as the main material in generating methane within the anaerobic digester (AD).

"The ISWMC, built on a four-hectare site, is set to process domestic, garden as well as construction and demolition (C&D) waste by February 1, 2025, with an estimated daily capacity of 1,200 tonnes, reaching its maximum capacity by 2040,” he said.

He further highlighted that the presence of the ISWMC allows a reduction in domestic waste sent to the Pulau Burung Landfill (TPSPB), thereby extending the lifespan of the landfill.

In addition to the ISWMC construction, the development of the Ampang Jajar Cleaning Depot and the Landscape Department Operations Office on part of the land, demonstrates MBSP’s commitment to improving existing municipal services while revitalising the MBSP Landscape Department, he added. — Bernama