(From left) WWF-Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia and Conservation Science associate director Jason Hon, Marketing and Communications director Rozzana Basri, executive director and CEO Sophia Lim, BCSD Malaysia director Emily Oi, director Stefanie Braukmanna and Marea CEO Roberto Benetello.
WWF-Malaysia and the Business Council for Sustainable Development (BCSD) Malaysia announced their strategic partnership to advance plastic circularity in Malaysia’s private sector, with a special focus on the hospitality, retail, and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industries on July 2.
Held at Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral, the Plastic Circularity Clinic for Hospitality Sector and Strategic Partnership Ceremony marked the official handover of WWF-Malaysia’s Plastic Circularity Toolkit — a digital assessment platform designed to help businesses evaluate, benchmark, and improve their plastic waste management practices.
Developed by WWF-Malaysia, the toolkit enables companies to measure their performance against key indicators, identify areas for improvement, and embed circular practices within their value chains.
As part of the agreement, BCSD Malaysia will drive the rollout of a Plastic Circularity Clinic Series through December 2025, providing targeted workshops and solution-driven knowledge-sharing sessions for key sectors.
“This collaboration with BCSD Malaysia represents a meaningful step towards building capacity and strengthening systems for better plastic management,” said WWF-Malaysia chief executive officer Sophia Lim.
“The Plastic Circularity Toolkit is designed to help businesses assess and improve their practices, moving from compliance to conviction and from awareness to action. We value BCSD’s role in enabling peer learning through clinics and engagements, which will be instrumental in supporting businesses on this journey.”
The initiative supports the goals outlined in the Malaysia Plastic Sustainability Roadmap 2021–2030, which called for a 25% recycling rate for plastic packaging by 2025 and the phasing out of single-use plastics by 2030. The Circularity Clinics will act as platforms for businesses to share best practices, explore circular business models and demonstrate industry leadership.
BCSD Malaysia director and chairman Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Zakri Abdul Hamid said, “This partnership with WWF Malaysia marks a significant step forward in accelerating industry action on plastic circularity.
“By supporting the wider utilisation of the plastic circularity digital toolkit across the private sector, BCSD Malaysia aims to help companies identify practical opportunities for improvement and provide the necessary support to act on them. It is through collaborations like these that we can strengthen industry capabilities and drive meaningful progress towards a circular economy.”
The event was hosted by Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral, BCSD Malaysia’s Strategic Sustainability Partner and Pilot Venue Host. As a forward-looking hospitality brand with a strong commitment to sustainability, Aloft participated in the event as a pioneer and early adopter of plastic circularity solutions.
The ceremony also featured a panel discussion on “Circular Solutions for the FMCG, Hospitality and Retail Sectors”, where industry experts explored practical approaches to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), sustainable packaging, and consumer engagement.
Following the ceremony, a capped-attendance BCSD Circularity Clinic for the Hospitality Sector was held, co-delivered by BCSD Malaysia and the Malaysian Recycling Alliance (Marea).
The clinic brought together sustainability practitioners and business leaders from across the ecosystem, with participation from the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade), AEON, UCSI, and Alam Flora.
