IPOH: Environmental advocates want enforcement, better infrastructure and clear standards to ensure that recycling facilities at shopping malls are effective.
While most shopping malls here have recycling bins, making such facilities mandatory reflects the government’s seriousness in addressing the issue of climate change, said Ipoh City Watch president Prof Dr Richard Ng.
However, he said many shoppers remained indifferent despite bins being clearly labelled for paper, plastics and cans.
“Some dump everything into any bin, including general garbage. Enforcement officers should be placed to educate the public.
“The authorities should take action against malls that fail to manage recycling bins properly.
“Simply providing recycling bins is not enough. In many cases, these bins are used to discard garbage,” he said.
Ng urged the government to provide more recycling and garbage bins in commercial areas here, such as Greentown, and along popular tourist spots, many of which lacked basic disposal infrastructure.
“In Ipoh Old Town near Concubine Lane, the Ipoh City Council has placed several small bins but few recycling bins.
“Over weekends, the bins overflow because there is no regular collection,” he said.
Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming announced that effective next January, all shopping malls must provide recycling facilities or risk being denied a business licence by local authorities.
Kumpulan Aktivis Sahabat Alam secretary Hafizudin Nasarudin said malls generated huge amounts of waste, mainly non-reusable plastics and packaging materials, as well as renovation debris such as steel, aluminium and cardboard.
“If malls are required to provide recycling bins, has the government issued a clear standard for internal recycling processes?
“Would malls merely collect and separate recyclables, or would they have access to proper machinery to convert materials into usable products?
“For example, if a mall produces a lot of plastic waste, do they have the means to recycle it into new products, or are they just reusing or storing it? If there is no transformation, then the waste may still end up in landfills,” he said.
Hafizudin spoke of the importance of a complete recycling chain, from waste separation at source to final processing.
“It is pointless if separated waste is eventually mixed again at landfills. There must be a guarantee that what is recycled at malls ends up being properly processed,” he said.
