The household waste segregation system will be implemented in stages starting September next year, Local Government and Housing Minister Chor Chee Heung said.

This is in line with the enforcement of the Solid Waste and Public Cleaning Act or Act 672 and the privatisation of solid waste management and public cleaning work during the period.

mca new cabinet member 180308 chor chee heung For a start, Chor ( right ) said, the system would be implemented in such cities and towns as Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Alor Star where the concessionaire would carry out recycled waste collection on a weekly basis.

"At the same time we will also encourage recycling and when the time comes, say in two or three years when there is sufficient awareness among the society on the need to segregate their household waste, we will make the system compulsory and those not adhering to it will be fined," he said.

Speaking to reporters after declaring open the National Recycling Day in Putrajaya, he said if the people were able to put the system into practice, the 25,000 tonnes of waste generated daily can be reduced by up to 40 percent.

166 waste disposal sites

Earlier in his speech, Chor said of the 166 waste disposal sites in the country, only eight had a sanitary status, making the rest more potentially harmful to the environment.

recycling 260506 plastic bottles He said these sites had also become hotspots for the spreading of vector-borne diseases and posed a threat to public health.

"We should adopt a responsible attitude and play our role in tackling solid waste disposal problems by practising the 3R concept or reduce, reuse and recycle," he said.

Chor also launched a toll-free line, 1-800-88-7472 (SISA), which allows consumers in all states in the peninsula, except for those in Selangor, Perak and Penang, to report waste disposal issues.

He also launched the RoadTour 1Malaysia, in collaboration with Radio Television Malaysia (RTM), to promote recycling throughout the peninsula for a week from today.

- Bernama