Curb food wastage during festivals, urges Lee
PETALING JAYA: Government and non-governmental organisations should help curb food wastage during festivals, says Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.
In a statement, the social activist said the Government should promote a zero food wastage culture among the people.
“During Ramadan this year, for example, the estimated food being wasted nationwide reached 615,000 metric tonnes,” he noted.
Quoting Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) deputy chief executive officer (technical) Dr Mohd Pauze Mohamad Talha, Lee said there was an increase of about 4,000 tonnes of food being wasted every day, including untouched food from hotels, private residences and hawker centres.
Some 16,687.5 tonnes of food being wasted daily increased to 20,087.5 daily during Ramadan.
The 16,687.5 tonnes of food could feed 12 million people three times, while 20,087.5 tonnes of food could feed the entire Malaysian population and still would have a lot more, he added.
“More worrying, SWCorp’s studies show that during Ramadan each year, we discard some 270,000 tonnes of ‘untouched’ food,” Lee said.
He suggested eateries introduce anti-wastage awareness and advise customers not to waste their food unnecessarily.
“The authorities and food operators can also consider emulating the steps taken by some restaurants overseas; fine customers who do not finish the food taken from the buffet spread,” he said.
Lee pointed out that the approach was popular in Japan and had been successful in educating people.
He noted that tens of thousands of poor families in Malaysia did not get enough to eat daily.