E-waste disposal regulations expected next year

PUTRAJAYA: The Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry is scrutinising the final draft of e-waste disposal regulations to enable a mechanism for the management of household e-waste, said its minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

He said the e-waste management mechanism, expected to be enforced next year, aims to deal with e-waste generated by households and non-industrial sectors.

He added that the mechanism would involve refineries, importers and users as well as registered collection and recycling centres, licensed by the Environment Department.

“We already have the framework, but it needs to be adapted to the realities of the non-industrial sector. Then, once we have gone through an engagement process with interested parties, we will move to the next level.”

Nik Nazmi said the draft regulations emphasise the concept of “extended producer responsibility and shared responsibility” to all interested parties involved in producing six ewaste control items, namely refrigerators, washing machines, mobile phones, computers, air conditioners and televisions.

“Realising the increasing quantity of ewaste, which has become a global threat today, and the importance and need for a special management system to handle ewaste, more and more countries in the world have adopted regulations regarding this matter.

“Statistics show that e-waste was protected by laws, policies and regulations in 78 countries in 2019, compared with 61 countries in 2014. These statistics show that awareness about e-waste has begun to increase.”

He said Taiwan, Japan and the European Union members had developed e-waste regulations more than 20 years ago, while in recent years, several neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia have also developed their own e-waste regulations.

Nik Nazmi said Malaysia needs to have clear guidelines regarding the management of ewaste, especially to avoid contamination from hazardous materials in the waste, if it is not disposed of correctly.

“Secondly, there is a new phenomenon called urban mining, namely efforts to recover metals and earth’s natural materials which are in e-waste and can be recycled, making this guideline crucial.”

Currently, the e-waste disposal system is only implemented at the industrial level, while disposal at the household level or by the public, is only done by throwing it in the trash or disposing it illegally.