PETALING JAYA: The Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) has urged restaurants and food outlets to reduce food waste to mitigate its environmental impact and reduce the strain on landfills.
Its CEO Datuk Ahmad Husaini Abdul Rahman said the persistent lack of awareness among Malaysians regarding the environmental impact of food waste is an ongoing challenge.
He told theSun that last year, SWCorp collected 28.9% of food waste in Kuala Lumpur alone, while other waste types were plastic at 26.6%, paper at 18.4%, diapers at 9.8%, textiles at 6.1% and glass at 2%.
Ahmad Husaini stressed the importance of reducing food waste and promoting sustainable consumption practices within families and communities as crucial to reducing the amount of collected waste.
“There are only so many landfills and other forms of disposal that can be created. If waste is not reduced, we will have a major problem in the years to come,” he said.
Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Food Science and Technology Programme senior lecturer Dr Siti Aimi Sarah Zainal Abidin said food waste is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emission, accounting for about 8% of total global emissions.
“When food is discarded at landfills, it decomposes anaerobically and produces methane, a greenhouse gas that is 28 to 34 times more potent than carbon dioxide in terms of its heat-trapping ability.
“This makes landfills a significant source of methane gas emissions, with food waste being one of the largest contributors to it.”
Siti Aimi said a lot of food waste happens at the food outlets and household level due to people buying more food than they need.
“This could be due to sales promotions and the convenience of packaged items that end up being thrown away before it is eaten.
“In Malaysia, households generate 0.5kg to 0.8 kg of food waste each day, with the amount increasing by 15% to 20% during festive seasons,” she said.
Siti Aimi added that Malaysian culture places a strong emphasis on food presentation and abundance, which means a lot of food is prepared at once, resulting in wastage if leftovers are not eaten.
“The expectation to serve plenty of food during social gatherings and celebrations contributes significantly to food waste as they are eventually thrown away.”
She said food waste contributes to sewage issues in several significant ways, impacting the treatment processes and the overall quality of sewage systems.
When a huge amount of food waste is not disposed properly, such as being flushed down toilets or washed down sinks, it will add to the solid waste burden on sewerage systems.
This can lead to blockages and clogged pipes, which can disrupt the flow of sewage and increase the risk of overflows while decomposing food waste in sewerage systems can produce foul odours and harmful gases such as hydrogen sulphide.
“These gases can pose health risks to workers in sewerage treatment facilities and contribute to air pollution if not properly managed. The presence of food waste can worsen such issues, leading to unpleasant conditions in and around sewerage treatment plants.”
Siti Aimi said food waste also contributes to nutrient overload in water when treated sewage is discharged. Excess nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus from decomposed food, can result in harmful algal blooms that deplete oxygen in water and harm aquatic life.
She said the presence of food waste in sewerage systems can complicate the treatment process, leading to inefficiencies that require additional processes or technologies to manage waste effectively.
