Malaysia a polluting nation if it neglects waste management – WCS

KUCHING: Malaysia may become one of the top polluting countries if it continues to neglect its waste management.

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Malaysia director Dr Melvin Gumal said based on researches, the country currently ranks eighth in the world for mismanaged plastic waste.

China, Indonesia and the Philippines are the top three polluting countries.

“Malaysia’s ranking in the top ten of being worst in the world for plastic waste (management) is due to us being affluent. We have this ‘throw-away’ mentality in society and we do it all the time,” he said during a talk on ‘Plastics, Sharks, Rays, Turtles and You’, conducted in conjunction with the launch of Sarawak Energy Bhd’s ‘Zero Polystyrene, Reduce Single-Use Plastic’ campaign at Menara Sarawak Energy here yesterday.

Melvin also pointed out that mismanaged plastic waste comprising waste that had not been recycled or properly disposed of, would often wind up in the oceans; thus polluting the marine environment.

“Not many people realise this but the largest producer of oxygen is the seas. Yes, the burning of oil palms destroys the environment, but the pollution going into the seas also affects that (production of oxygen).

“You don’t realise this but you are affecting the air that you try to breathe in and you are accidentally consuming things that you are polluting and harming yourselves,” he stressed.

Melvin said as one of the measures to address plastic waste mismanagement would be to reduce single-use plastics, much like what has been implemented at all Sarawak Energy premises since April 1.

“We have also discussed with Swinburne University of Technology on the possibility of installing water filtration systems at areas where students congregate; these students are each given water bottles to fill,” he said of the initiative, which was initiated by the Princeton University in the US.

Melvin also proposed for organisations like Sarawak Energy to conduct beach cleanups.

“Besides that, we should also start thinking about conservation awareness at home. We learn about conservation at school and in the universities, but the workplace can also influence conservation awareness at home,” he added.

Earlier, Sarawak Energy group chief executive officer Sharbini Suhaili launched the campaign on reducing plastic usage at its offices and power plants, under a pledge to phase out single-use plastics and polystyrene-based materials as part of a three-year ‘Go Green’ campaign aimed at conserving, regenerating and sustaining the environment.