SWCorp Stepping Up Campaign Against Single-Use Plastic

MELAKA, Nov 8 (Bernama) — The Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) is intensifying its nationwide campaign with the slogan of ‘Jangan Gunalah: Bebas Plastik Bermula Dari Saya’ (Don’t Use It: Plastic-Free Starts With Me) in urging for more efforts to reduce single-use plastics among the public.

SWCorp chairman Hee Loy Sian said the campaign is also a strategic measure to address pollution and its impact on public health, as well as to introduce long-term solid waste management solutions in the country.

“This campaign is being carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing and Local Government and local authorities, aiming to raise public awareness on the dangers of single-use plastics, including takeaway meals, plastic straws, and everyday plastic utensils.

“Plastic that is poorly managed will flow into rivers and eventually into the sea, affecting marine life and human health through seafood contaminated with plastic molecules,” he said after launching the campaign at the Melaka Historic City Council Square (Dataran MBMB) here today in the presence of MBMB Mayor Datuk Shadan Othman.

Elaborating, Hee said the campaign was not a mere slogan but a sweeping lifestyle change that highlights individual responsibility for environmental sustainability, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 11 and 12) agenda for sustainable cities and communities, as well as responsible consumption and production.

He noted that more than 38,000 tonnes of solid waste are generated daily in this country, with almost 15 per cent of it being single-use plastic. In Melaka alone, about 1,100 tonnes of waste are sent to the Sungai Udang landfill daily, and almost 57 per cent of that can be recycled if the community practises proper waste separation.

“Everyone plays a role; we want to end the ‘use-and-throw’ culture and replace it with a reuse culture. It may be a small step, but it has a big impact on the planet that we share,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said a new temporary landfill cell will be built next year at the same site in Sungai Udang as the existing site is nearing full capacity.

He said the move is crucial to ensure that solid waste management in Melaka can continue in a controlled manner while avoiding the risk of pollution, as once the maximum capacity is reached, the risk increases, including the potential for leachate (a toxic by-product of landfill decomposition) to leak into rivers and contaminate water resources.

“The construction of this new cell is a temporary measure while waiting for the completion of the Waste-to-Energy (WTE) treatment plant, which is expected to be fully operational in 2029,” he said.

— BERNAMA

Follow us on social media :
Facebook : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatv, @bernamaradio
Twitter : @bernama.com, @BernamaTV, @bernamaradio
Instagram : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatvofficial, @bernamaradioofficial
TikTok : @bernamaofficial