FT minister: Strong practices important in reducing costs of waste management, climate change borne by the people
PUTRAJAYA residents have a new place to learn about going green, with a recycling hub launched in Precinct 9.
The 232sqm facility, known as Community-Based Eco Recycling Hub (COB3R), is located on Jalan P9c/1.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh, who launched the hub, said COB3R would complement the existing network of recycling facilities in Putrajaya.
The facility, she said, would focus on recycling education, skill-sharing and manufacturing products from used materials.
“Existing recycling facilities such as the Putrajaya Buy Back Centres in Precinct 9 and Precinct 18 and the Recycling Innovation Facility in Precinct 5 will continue their roles in gathering recyclable materials,” she said at the launch of the facility.
She said COB3R, which cost RM900,000, reflected the government’s efforts to translate recycling awareness into action as climate change intensified.
“I believe we can all feel the impact of climate change, as disasters such as floods can seriously disrupt our lives.
“Hence, recycling should urgently become a habit among the people.
“COB3R will be handed over to Putrajaya Corporation (PPj) to manage together with the Putrajaya Federal Territories Residents’ Representative Council (MPPWP).
“I believe they are capable of ensuring the facility is fully utilised,” said Yeoh.
She said COB3R’s location and daily operations could reduce the need for Putrajaya residents to travel long distances to manage their recyclable materials.
However, she said strong monitoring and enforcement were needed to ensure COB3R did not become a dumping ground.
“We have seen cases where recycling centres, including charity-based ones, are treated as dumping sites.
“Enforcement is also important to ensure recycling is truly practised by the people.
“This requires strong action, similar to how Selangor government phased out the use of plastic bags and straws.
“In Putrajaya, although there was an increase in the amount of recyclable materials collected from 2024 to 2025, the overall recycling rate still stood at only 22% for both years, signifying the need for greater efforts to encourage people to reduce waste and recycle it.”
She said Putrajaya collected over 8.6 million kilogrammes of recycling materials last year, an increase of 840,000kg from 2024.
Meanwhile, the national recycling rate was reported at 37.9% in 2024.
Yeoh also said the cost borne by local authorities in managing solid waste, as well as the impact of climate change-related disasters, would ultimately be passed on to the public through assessment taxes.
“Strong recycling practices are therefore important to reduce these costs,” she said.
When asked whether COB3R would be introduced elsewhere, Yeoh said this would be decided after an assessment of its effectiveness in Precinct 9.
“It will be treated as a pilot project and we will study the necessary improvements,” the minister said.
Also present were PPj president Datuk Mohd Sakeri Abdul Kadir and Putrajaya MPPWP chairman Datuk Ahmad Faisal Abdul Karim.
