SHAH ALAM: A total of one million food and beverage cartons are targeted to be collected and recycled following the expansion of a recycling programme to all 27 AEON Malls across the country.
Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said the pilot project, which began at Aeon Mall Station 18 in Ipoh, had successfully collected almost 500kg of recyclable materials, proving the initiative’s effectiveness.
“One kilogramme is equivalent to approximately 63 beverage cartons. We are targeting the collection and recycling of one million food and beverage cartons.
“This is a start as well as increasing awareness campaigns to the public,” he said in his speech when launching the expansion of the Sort & Drop – Recycle the Carton programme to all 27 AEON Malls across the country at AEON Shah Alam yesterday.
Nga said the effort is in line with the government’s aspiration to ensure that environmental sustainability remains the country’s priority.
“Sustainability is not just a slogan, but the core of the government. We will accelerate efforts like this to be expanded to all shopping centres nationwide.
“The National Circular Economy Council in October last year decided that all supermarkets should provide recycling facilities to make it easier for the public to have access to systematic recycling facilities,” he added.
In the meantime, he explained that Malaysia produces 40,000 metric tonnes of solid waste daily.
“Of that amount, a total of 12,000 metric tonnes involve food waste. Imagine if other countries starved to death, but in our country, food was just thrown away,” he said.
Tetra Pak Asean sustainability director Terrynz Tan said the Sort & Drop – Recycle the Cartons programme offers a seamless collection system for food and beverage cartons at malls, with digital IoT-enabled kiosks integrated with the RE Connect app by KPT Recycle.
“Food and beverage tenants can easily deposit cartons for recycling, while real-time tracking allows for monitoring, reporting, and future programme expansion.
“Expanding the initiative across AEON Malls demonstrates that circularity at scale is achievable when practical, data-driven solutions are adopted. By keeping food and beverage cartons in the value chain and out of landfills, we are contributing to accelerating Malaysia’s transition to a low-carbon, circular economy,” she added.
Tan said all collected food and beverage cartons are sent to certified recycling facilities, where paper fibres are converted into recycled paper rolls and polyAluminium components are transformed into Ecopeal roofing sheets and boards, all of which meet the Sirim Eco-Label and MyHIJAU standards.
Meanwhile, Nga revealed that more than 1,000 individuals have been detained for littering offences nationwide since Jan 1.
He said the offenders have already begun serving community service sentences.
“Some were fined RM2,000 and ordered to carry out duties such as sweeping roads, cleaning drains and public toilets for up to 12 hours.
The community service orders were part of a penalty for minor littering in public places under the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act, which came into effect on Jan 1 this year,” he said.
Nga reminded motorists not to treat roads as “rubbish bins”, particularly during the festive season and Visit Malaysia 2026.
“If you have rubbish in your car, keep it there until you reach home and dispose of it properly. Do not treat the streets as a rubbish bin,” he said.
