Cultivating sustainability: Khalid (left) giving out recycling bags as part of the education campaign to cut down on food waste at a bazaar in Kuala Lumpur.
PETALING JAYA: About 70% of households in Malaysia do not finish the food they have prepared for meals, says a recent study by Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp).
The study conducted on 2,273 households nationwide further showed that 48% of the households purchased excessive food, causing much to be discarded, while 44% of the households ended up throwing away food as they did not know how to store the leftovers properly.
SWCorp chief executive officer Khalid Mohamed said the study, conducted last year, indicated the attitude of Malaysians in general when it comes to food consumption and food disposal.
“It is important for the public to realise we cannot keep filling the landfills and open more to accommodate waste.
“Such waste releases carbon dioxide into the air, leading to greenhouse gas emissions.”
Khalid said that while the campaign to educate hotels, restaurants, caterers and event managers as well as the public is ongoing throughout the year, much food is wasted during festive periods.
“A lot of this can be saved if there is proper planning and storing.
“Over the last decade, we have focused on this and found that there is significant change in the attitude and mindset of Malaysians with much reduction in food waste at hotel buffets and events,” he said.
Khalid said that during their engagements with restaurateurs and hoteliers, they emphasised the need to only prepare food for the expected number of guests and not more.
“We also educate them about the various ways to handle edible food waste without letting it end up in the landfills,” he said.
He urged Malaysians to adopt the 3R – reduce, reuse, recycle – in managing food waste, especially since they love food and eating.
“What we mean by reducing food waste can be done by planning food or grocery purchases.
“In reusing, the leftovers should be stored properly and can also be consumed through creative ways. There are so many online recipes for such ‘new dishes’ with leftovers.
“As for recycling, food waste can be separated from rubbish and used for compost,” he said.
Currently, Khalid said, SWCorp can only work with seven states – Federal Territories, Perlis, Kedah, Pahang, Melaka, Negri Sembilan and Johor – as these have adopted the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Act 672).
This enables SWCorp and volunteers from Gema Youth Malaysia to work closely with the local authorities to manage food waste and educate the public about the importance of being prudent when it comes to food preparation and consumption.
