Waste minimisation and the environment

Abstract

There is a genuine concern on problems related to municipal solid waste (MSW) management in Malaysia. With waste generation rates of 0.76 kg/person/day, Malaysia will soon face serious problems handling and disposing these wastes. This paper focuses on how the implementation of hierarchy of waste management options can improve the situation by reducing the amount of waste reaching the final disposal stage. The options include the well-known 5R principles – replace, reduce, re-use, recover and recycle. An integrated and comprehensive approach utilising regulatory and economic instruments is also discussed.