JITRA: The housing and local government ministry has identified 18 locations for the development of solid waste-to-energy plants throughout the country.
This is a new method to manage solid waste and eradicate landfills.
Minister Nga Kor Ming said the development of the plants – the country’s new direction in managing solid waste disposal – will use the latest technology that has proven successful in several European countries as well as China and Japan.
“We are now working very hard to turn trash to cash and also to turn rubbish to energy.
“This will be the government’s direction to ensure that we are environmentally friendly, and that garbage thrown away can be turned into renewable energy.
“Other nations have made some mistakes, so we can avoid all the trial and errors and adopt the latest and most sophisticated technology,” he said at the Paya Kemunting solid waste landfill near here today.
Meanwhile, Nga said the Environmental Conservation Green Initiative Project aims to reduce the number of unsanitary landfills in line with the gazettement of the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Act 2007 (Act 672), which mandates the separation of recyclables and non-recyclables at the source.
This initiative, costing a total of RM13 million, enabled the closure of the Paya Kemunting solid waste landfill, becoming the 175th unsanitary landfill nationwide to cease operations.
”This landfill has been operating since 1974. This year marks 50 years and we finally managed to close it, so the people around this site will feel comfortable as there is no more unpleasant smell,” he said.
National solid waste management department director-general Azhar Abd Hamid said 154 conventional landfills were still operating, although they have gone through a sanitary process to control the overflow of leachate, methane gas emissions and odours.
“These are disposal sites that are controlled in terms of the hydrosphere, atmosphere and lithosphere, that is water, air and soil.”
He said about 60 unsanitary disposal sites are set to be closed.
