GOMBAK: The nation’s mounting solid waste problem costs the government about RM2bil a year to manage and clean public spaces, says Nga Kor Ming.
The Housing and Local Government Minister said 14.5 million tonnes of waste were generated in 2024, and the volume is projected to rise to about 17 million tonnes by 2035.
He said the projected increase carried significant financial and environmental implications if current waste management practices continued.
This figure does not include the annual costs of waste management by local councils.
“A clean Malaysia cannot be built by the government alone.
“It requires a sense of responsibility from every citizen,” he said after launching the national-level Malaysia Clean-up Day (HCM) 2026 yesterday.
Nga said the figures highlighted the need for Malaysians to change their attitude towards waste and make cleanliness, waste separation and recycling part of their daily lives.
He said HCM, now in its third year, was being held simultaneously at 469 locations nationwide, with about 200,000 participants expected to collect 28 tonnes of recyclable materials during the one-day event.
The two targets are also being pursued as new entries for the Malaysia Book of Records, he added.
Nga said HCM had grown from 58,007 participants in 2024 to over 100,000 last year, showing growing public participation in the national cleanliness campaign.
