SHAH ALAM, 12 June: The State Government will be organising an international seminar to design a comprehensive policy for the management of rubbish or integrated solid waste landfills in Selangor.
The Executive Councillor for Local Government, Studies and Research, Datuk Teng Chang Kim, said that a realistic policy for the long-term is very important in the development of Selangor for it to be maintained as a competitive state in the country.
“It is time for us to conduct an in-depth evaluation regarding the impact faced, in addition to formulating an appropriate policy for the management of solid waste in the state. But, of course, the State Government requires provisions from the Federal Government to ensure the success of the policies to ensure the sustainability and effectiveness in its management.
“We will hold an international seminar where we will invite experts from abroad, as well as other stakeholders in Selangor,” he said at the Selangor Budget 2015 Dialogue.
Meanwhile, the General Manager of Worldwide Sdn Bhd (Worldwide), Zamri Abdul Rahman, said that only 8% of land in Selangor can be developed into landfills, when he was presenting the work papers on the Integrated Solid Waste Management Policy.
He said that so far, Worldwide has developed two sanitary landfills, one in Jeram and one in Tanjung 12, which can survive for a period of 10 years.
“The issues regarding solid waste management in Selangor is it its rising rate of generation, rising costs, lack of land, public awareness, management by the local authorities, and services not done under Act 672, where there is no provisions from the Federal Government.
“With the increase in population and standard of living, there is also an increase in the amount of garbage or solid waste generation in Selangor. Currently, it is estimated that about 8,000 tons of garbage is produced each day,” he said.
Zamri said that the solid waste management policy objective is to improve the situation and bring solid waste management to a higher level in terms of service and also transferring as much solid waste possible from landfills, as well as increasing recycling rates.
“The State Government should follow the example of the systems carried out in some Asian countries, like Singapore, Japan or Taiwan, as a guide in finding the best management system to be practices in this state,” he said.
