PUTRAJAYA: The government is exploring the best approach to introduce a more progressive policy on plastic waste management, which has become the country’s biggest challenge, said Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
He said poorly managed plastic waste could lead to various issues, including health problems for the people.
“This is a major concern at the government level. We already have the Roadmap Towards Zero Single-Use Plastics 2018-2030 and the Malaysia Plastics Sustainability Roadmap 2021-2030.
“(However,) the challenge lies in translating these into comprehensive policies, and we also lack a clear legislative framework,” he said at the launch of the Ecopod and the presentation of a Guinness World Records certificate here today.
Nik Nazmi said Malaysia’s participation in the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Conference of the Parties (BRS COPs), held from April 28 to May 9 in Geneva, Switzerland, demonstrated the country’s commitment to tackling plastic waste management issues.
“The Global Plastics Treaty has garnered worldwide attention, and discussions are ongoing to seek inclusive and progressive approaches. This is a key issue,” he said.
On May 2, Nik Nazmi said his attendance at BRS COPs underscored Malaysia’s strong commitment to controlling transboundary movements of hazardous waste and its disposal.
The meeting also served as the first platform for the country to voice ASEAN’s stance — that the region should not be used as the world’s dumping ground for toxic, problematic and hard-to-recycle waste.
On the Ecopod, which was recognised by the Guinness World Records as the thinnest recycling vending machine, Nik Nazmi said its development aligns with the Malaysia Plastics Sustainability Roadmap 2021-2030 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
He said the machine plays a significant role in supporting the nation’s aspiration to reduce greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 45 per cent by 2030 and to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
