Langkawi sees jump in e-waste collection

ALOR SETAR: Kedah’s Environment Department (DOE) has collected 24 tonnes of electrical and electronic waste or e-waste this year, with the highest amount coming from Langkawi, says its director Sharifah Zakiah Syed Sahab.

She told Bernama that Langkawi’s collection of e-waste was at 22.6 tonnes or 90% of the total in the state.

“The e-waste collection programme has received good response from the local community, hotels, as well as government offices on the island.

“So far, Langkawi does not have any premises licensed by the DOE to collect and process scheduled waste including e-waste.

“The e-waste initiative was implemented by the DOE to prevent such waste from being disposed indiscriminately and polluting the environment or being sent to be processed at illegal premises,” she said in a statement here yesterday.

The e-waste collected, she said, would be sent to the mainland to be processed at premises licensed by the DOE.

Sharifah Zakiah also said that a stop work order was issued on Dec 13 against a metal recycling factory in Gurun for storing scheduled waste without a licence.

The factory had earlier been raided and given the operation equipment detention order by the DOE.

“The action under Section 34AA (2) the Environmental Quality Act 1974 (Amendment) was taken as the premises has breached the approval conditions and was found to be operating without a licence to store processed scheduled waste,” she added.