Nga Kor Ming says 30% of Malaysia’s daily waste is food, urging stronger recycling and circular economy

SHAH ALAM: Malaysia generates about 40,000 metric tonnes of solid waste every day, with more than 30% — or 12,000 tonnes — made up of food waste, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming revealed.

Speaking at the launch of the Sort & Drop – Recycle the Cartons programme at AEON Mall Shah Alam, Nga described the figures as alarming, noting that large amounts of edible food are discarded while hunger persists globally.

He said the situation highlights the urgent need for stronger waste management and circular economy practices. The government has established the National Circular Economy Council to drive sustainability efforts, including expanding carton recycling initiatives across 27 AEON malls nationwide.

If adopted across 1,000 malls, the programme could divert up to 6,000 tonnes of waste annually. A pilot project collected over 400kg of cartons — about 31,000 units — in just eight months.

Nga added that recycling infrastructure will be strengthened nationwide, requiring malls to provide recycling facilities. New policies, such as mandatory grease traps for food outlets, are also being introduced to reduce waste entering drainage systems.

The initiative, launched in collaboration with Tetra Pak and KPT Recycle, forms part of Malaysia’s broader push toward a low-carbon, circular economy, including exploring waste-to-energy solutions for non-recyclable materials.

 The Sun Malaysia