Malaysia Launches Brand New Projects to Reduce Plastics and Electronic Waste

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Malaysia has launched several new schemes to help reduce plastics and electronic waste in the country.

The British supermarket group Tesco recently launched a new scheme titled “unforgettable bag” in 11 of their stores in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur and the southern state of Johor. As per the scheme, the supermarket chain will offer discounts to customers who reuse their shopping bags. Each new bag is priced at 0.50 ringitt. The customers could claim replacement bag at no cost, in case the bag is torn or damaged. Every single reuse of the bag will reward the customer with a rebate of $0.20 ringitt. Incidentally, estimates indicate that average Malaysian throws away 300 plastic bags every year.

According to Tesco, the “unforgettable bag” is made out completely from recycled plastic. It carries the design of a turtle, fish or whale, in order to highlight the risks posed by plastics to the marine community. The company plans to extend the scheme to all 56 stores across Malaysia from June 1^st. If successful, the scheme will be extended to other Tesco stores across Asia, the company added.

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The Malaysian Department of Environment (DoE) urged all residents to make best use of the available collection and recycling programs for end-of-life electronic devices and equipment. A survey on selected areas indicates that household e-waste generation is projected to reach 53 million pieces by 2020, almost 3.5 times higher than the 1995 levels. It urged consumers to locate nearest collection facility of TM recycle- Malaysia’s appointed e-waste recycler in order to dispose of their discarded electronic equipment.

In addition, the E-waste Alam Alliance Recycling Programme launched in 2013 continues to create public awareness about safe e-waste disposal schemes. The programme also works towards development of authorized private sector recycling infrastructure. Old devices are also collected under the Mobile e-Waste initiative by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).