Pahang converts food waste into compost, donates proceeds to needy

PAHANG Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (Swcorp) aims to save 800kg of food waste during Ramadan, to be processed into compost.

According to Swcorp director Sharudin Hamid, a compost machine had been placed at Kuantan City Council (MBK1) field to turn waste into fertiliser.

“From the first day till the sixth day of Ramadan, 189kg of food waste were collected from people who came to break fast at the MBK1 field and from traders at the Mahkota Square Ramadan bazaar,” he told Bernama.

He said the machine was placed there in conjunction with Swcorp’s “Value Food, No Waste” programme, which educated visitors and traders about reducing food waste.

The machine is able to process 25kg of food waste daily, which will be mixed with enzymes and wood dust to set off the decomposition process needed to produce fertiliser.

Sharudin said the fertiliser would be distributed to active community gardens such as the one in Pinggiran Putra.

Meanwhile, he said his team also implemented the “Infak Ramadan” programme that included a “Trash to Cash” campaign in 12 bazaar locations.

“All recyclable items will be collected at the Ramadan bazaar from traders, visitors or those donated by the local community, and the proceeds from the sale of these items will be handed over to selected charities and orphans,” he said of the campaign that was in its third year.

Last year, Pahang Swcorp collected 8,020kg of recyclable items with a sales revenue of RM5,323.

Additionally, the team collaborated with Pahang Gema Malaysia Youth Organisation to facilitate the Mysavefood Ramadan 2024 Project which aimed to rescue unsold food to be distributed to the needy.