Zero waste programmes in own backyard

THE new government’s initiative to carve out new policies to bring about positive change in Malaysia is to be lauded.

As founder of The Lost Food Project (TLFP), I was thrilled to hear about the latest announcement by Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Saifuddin Ismail to implement a “zero waste” policy. This will help bring “surplus” food that usually ends up in landfills to benefit the poorest in our society.

In the report “Supermarkets back zero waste” ( The Star, July 14), Saifuddin was quoted saying that supermarkets are keen to support this programme and he has been invited by the Lulu hypermarket to study the zero waste programme implemented in the United Arab Emirates. The report also quoted Saifuddin saying that the ministry is studying similar programmes being run in the United States, Singapore and France.

With the number of NGOs already working in this area in Malaysia, the government does not have to reinvent the wheel. The TLFP is one of these NGOs. In just over two years, TLFP has managed to deliver almost two million meals to thousands of vulnerable people, using high quality “lost food” that would otherwise go to landfills, at great expense to the taxpayer.

Using industry standard operating procedures, TLFP takes food from several supermarket chains and multinational food manufacturers. Beneficiaries are PPR (Projek Perumahan Rakyat) residents in the low-cost housing estates and 50 vetted charities. Rescuing and distributing this food means our charities and PPR residents can redirect their limited resources to pay for other essentials like healthcare and education.

If the government can help support the existing operations, together we can make an enormous difference in Malaysia both in terms of providing nutrition to the most needy and helping to protect our environment.

Lost food (as we call it) does not break down into organic matter. In the hostile environment of a landfill site, it becomes a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming and damages our water table and the Earth. If Malaysia is committed to reaching the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) by 2030, it MUST address the huge problem of food waste.

This announcement is a welcome new chapter for a meaningful policy change. The government can take the opportunity to learn from other international practices in reducing food waste. However, we don’t have to look very far as it is already happening across Malaysia.

There are a number of policy options available to achieve the best results and consultation with existing stakeholders, NGOs included, will bring the best outcome. The new government along with all the stakeholders of Mardi’s MYsavefood programme can move mountains and reduce landfills.