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Table of Co n te n ts
Abbreviations and Acronyms
i
Foreword
ii
Message
iii
Background
1
Planning a Community 3R Centre
5
Setting Up and Operating the Community 3R Centre
9
Looking Back: Successes, Challenges and Lessons
15
The Way Forward
22
Bibliography
23
Appendix I: List of Taskforce Committee Members
24
A bbr evia tio n s a n d A c r o n y m s
3R
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
DANIDA
Danish International Development Assistance
DNSWM
Department of National Solid Waste Management (JPSPN)
KRT
Kawasan Rukun Tetangga (Resident Association)
LA
Local Authority
MDP
Majlis Daerah Pekan (Pekan District Council)
MHLG
Ministry of Housing and Local Government
NGOs
Non-Governmental Organisations
PJCC
Petaling Jaya Community Centre
RE
Responsible Entity
SWM
Solid Waste Management
TP
Tapak Pelupusan (Landfill)
YDP
Yang Dipertua
i
Foreword
Malaysia has experienced a growing need and commitment to manage our solid waste more
efficiently and effectively. With scarcity of natural resources, there is an increased need to
optimise exploitation and utilisation of natural resources.
Improving the management of our solid waste is one of the most challenging tasks for the local
authorities. For Pekan District Council, as for most of the Local Authorities in Malaysia, most
of the solid waste is still disposed of to open dumpsites. Today, Pekan District Council
disposes approximately 7,200 tonnes of solid wastes per year. The awareness and knowledge
of residents in Pekan to reduce, reuse and recycle is still very limited.
We are committed to promote the concept of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle (3R) to safeguard
the environment and we believe our efforts are making a difference for Pekan and setting an example for other local
authorities.
This booklet presents the activities and outcomes from the community initiative project titled “Community 3R Centre to
increase public participation in Solid Waste Management” which we have established for three residential areas in Pekan
with assistance from the Ministry of Housing and Local Government and the Danish International Development Assistance
(DANIDA). It is an attempt to empower and engage the local community in setting up and operating a community 3R centre
within their own community.
I encourage you to take a few minutes to read the booklet and share our experiences from the community activities,
awareness and educational programmes conducted in cooperation with the involved communities. Thank you to each and
everyone that has participated in or supported the establishment of this Community 3R Centre in Pekan district. It is through
the support of the residents and partners such as yourselves that we are able to achieve the successes that are highlighted
in this publication.
Yang Berhormat Dato’ Haji Abdul Basik bin Mohd Sah
Yang DiPertua
Majlis Daerah Pekan
ii
Message
Public participation and awareness are instrumental for improving the way we deal with our waste
today. Waste reduction and recycling can only be successful if the authorities, the private sector
and the public work together in unity for the better of the society.
In 2005, the Government of Denmark through the Danish International Development Assistance
(DANIDA) agreed with the Government of Malaysia to establish a fund to support Local Authorities,
who were committed to carry out such initiatives to increase public participation and awareness in
solid waste management on the local level.
The fund was subsequently established in 2006, and the local authorities were requested to submit
proposals for funding. The response from the Local Authorities was overwhelming and very
encouraging. It was not easy for the Ministry and DANIDA to select the 10 initiatives, among the large number of interesting
and promising ideas, which could be financed within the budgetary limits. The strong response is a clear demonstration of
the commitment and enthusiasm towards saving resources and protecting the environment that exists in many Local
Authorities and communities.
The initiatives selected include a very broad range of activities involving many parts of the society, including residents,
school children, hotels, restaurants, hawkers, tourists to mention a few. And the ranges of subjects are similarly broad
including waste reduction, recycling, home composting, bulky waste management and cleanliness.
The fund has now come to an end, and it is time to sum up the experience and the lessons learned. Through a series of
booklets, each initiative is presented and the experience and lessons learned are documented.
It is my hope that the booklets will act as inspiration for others. The booklets are made not only to facilitate replication of the
initiatives, but is also hoped that the booklets will inspire residents, communities and businesses to come up with different
and new ideas to further increase the involvement of the society and the hope for a brighter future for all of us.
The present booklet presents one of the successful community initiatives – the Community 3R Centre in Majlis Daerah
Pekan.
DATO’ NADZRI BIN YAHAYA Ph.D
Director General
Department of National Solid Waste Management
Ministry of Housing and Local Government
iii
B ackgro u n d
The quantity of solid waste disposed of in Pekan town is approximately 7,200 tonnes per year. This quantity includes waste
from households, institutions and commercial activities such as markets, shops, stalls and offices.
Pekan District Council or Majlis Daerah Pekan (MDP) has outsourced the solid waste collection services to a concessionaire,
namely Alam Flora Sdn. Bhd. The services consist of a 3 times per week collection for residual waste generated from households. The residual solid waste is brought to the landfill at Tapak Pelupusan (TP) Keledang about 5 km from Pekan town.
Recycling activities in Pekan are mainly carried out by a limited number of private recycling agents as well as the scavengers
in the landfill.
The concept of 3R – to reduce, reuse and recycle is becoming an important strategy in solid waste management (SWM) all
over the country. The increasing costs of waste collection and disposal coupled with environmental and socio-economic
constraints have prompted the authorities to increasingly promote 3R (reduce, reuse and recycle) programmes.
Community’s involvement and support are key success factors to such 3R programmes.
Realising 3R as an economically and environmentally sustainable approach, MDP has organised a large number of activities
and programmes to create public awareness. Among these are Recycling Days, 3R talks and 3R campaigns for schools in
conjunction with MDP’s programmes. As a result of these efforts, Pekan was awarded the winner of ‘Bandar Bestari’ (i.e.
Sustainable City) Award under the National Environmental Award Year 2006/2007 for district council category.
REDUCE
the waste generated
REUSE
items or products
RECYCLE
as much materials as possible
INCINERATION /
LANDFILL
remaining
portion
of the
waste
Hierarchy of Methods in Solid Waste Management
1
Collection centres for recyclables from households (3R centres) began to emerge in Malaysia following the First National
Recycling Campaign in 1993 and the number grew further during the Second National Recycling Campaign held in 2000.
Most of these centres were jointly established by non-governmental organisations (NGOs), private businesses and LAs as
a mean to generate awareness and foster 3R lifestyle amongst the people through active community involvement.
Such centres are usually located in the urban or suburban areas of major cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Johor
Bahru, Kuching, etc. where the supply and demand for the recyclables are more prominent.
In contrast, the lack of environmental awareness and understanding of the consequences of poor SWM is widespread in
smaller urban and rural communities. Further, the LAs in these areas often do not have adequate capacities, infrastructure
and financial resources to actively enhance 3R. As a result, the success of fostering 3R lifestyle in such areas is still low.
In view of the above, MDP proposed to set up a community 3R centre for sub-urban area settings. The proposal was
submitted to the Community Initiatives Programme, established by the Department of National Solid Waste Management
(DNSWM), Ministry of Housing and Local Government (MHLG) and the Danish International Development Assistance
(DANIDA), for funding. The programme supports solid waste related initiatives, targeting public participation as an inherent
element of a sustainable SWM system in 10 LAs around Peninsular Malaysia.
The project was funded by the Community Initiatives Programme from August 2007 to December 2008.
This booklet documents the processes and experiences gained in establishing and operating of a community 3R centre in
suburban residential areas situated in Pekan town, state of Pahang.
2
WHY COMMUNITY 3R CENTRE?
There are many possible ways to generate active community participation in 3R. Among the options is setting up of 3R
centres to be planned and managed by the local communities.
3R centre can be defined as a site or facility equipped for delivery, sorting, storage, processing and transportation of
recyclables. 3R centres may be operated in the following manner:
• Drop-off centre – a dedicated site area for the residents to deliver mixed or sorted recyclables; the centre may or
may not be equipped with bins and containers for the materials; and
• Buy-back centre – a drop-off centre that offers monetary incentive for some or all of the recycled materials which
the residents bring to the centre.
3R centres may be planned and managed by the authorities, private recyclers, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
or the local community in which the centre is located. Centres planned and managed by the local community are defined as
“community 3R centres” in this report.
For this project, the concept of “community 3R centre” was introduced to empower and engage the local community into the
planning and management of a 3R centre within their own neighbourhood. The intention was to instil the awareness and
attract hands-on participation from the community in the importance of 3R and develop ownership towards such centres to
ensure their sustainability.
BENEFITS OF A COMMUNITY 3R CENTRE
A well-operated community 3R centre can contribute to a healthy and united community. It also plays an essential part in
educating residents about the importance of 3R and its environmental benefits. Socio-economic and environmental benefits
can include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reduces costs for waste collection and disposal
Empowers people in decision-making
Builds local capacities and capabilities in managing the recyclables
Brings a community together by providing an opportunity and solid platform for community participation
Encourages volunteerism
Creates jobs
Generates revenues for the families
Supports sustainable industries and the growth for green technologies
3
ABOUT PEKAN DISTRICT
Pekan is the royal town and former capital of the State of Pahang Darul Makmur. Located on the east coast of Peninsular
Malaysia and on the banks of the Pahang River, it is the home of the State's royal family headed by Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah
Al-Musta'in Billah Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Abu Bakar Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mu'adzam Shah. It is also the hometown of the second
Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein and the current Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Najib Tun
Razak. According to the legend, Pekan derives its name from a flower known as “Bunga Pekan” which once grew
abundantly along the Pahang River.
10
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Johor
Kuala Lumpur
Kelantan
Kedah
Melaka
Negeri Sembilan
Pulau Pinang
Pahang
Perak
Perlis
Selangor
Terengganu
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7
3
12
9
8
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2
6
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1
Peninsular Malaysia, State of Pahang & Pekan District
The district is predominantly rural with low population
density. The total population of the district is approximately 100,000 residents (MDP, 2003). About 86.8% of
the citizens are Malay, 9.9% orang asli, 1.5% Chinese,
0.5% Indian and 1.3% others. The district’s economy is
dominated by its agriculture, forestry and fisheries
sectors. Pekan district has the third largest coverage of
oil palm plantations and second largest coverage of
paddy fields in the State of Pahang. Other economic
sectors are construction, transportation services, communication and utilities. The average per capita income
of Pekan town exceeds RM6,000 per year and the
majority of the Pekan residents are from the low and
middle income groups.
Total Area
: 3,805 km
: 0.45% residential areas, 0.01% commercial areas,
52.6% forest reserves, 46.9% other land use
Population
:100,000
Ethnic group
: Malay 86.8%, Chinese 1.5%, Indian 0.5%,
Orang Asli 9.9%, Others 1.3%
Places of Interest: Water Transport Gallery,
Birth of former Prime Minister,
Tun Abdul Razak, Sultan Abu Bakar Museum
Sources: MDP, 2009
Pekan District: Facts and Figures
4
Planning a Co mmun i ty 3 R C e n tr e
PLANNING A COMMUNITY 3R CENTRE
The idea of setting up a community 3R centre was originated from the Resident Association (KRT) of Taman Permata in
2007. Taman Permata is a sub-urban residential area located in the eastern part of Pekan town. The KRT decided to fight
against their litter problem by involving residents in 3R practices. However, there was no recycling centre within the
residential area and the nearest recycling centre was located in the town centre which is about 2km away.
This idea prompted MDP to implement the project “Community 3R Centre to Increase Public Participation in Solid Waste
Management in Pekan District Council”. This project, the first community project of its kind in Pahang was established as a
collaboration between the local residents and the District Council.
The objectives of the project were:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
to establish a community 3R centre as a buy-back centre for rural and small communities in Pekan district;
to increase awareness and participation of the rural and small communities in 3R;
to establish public ownership of the community 3R centre and ensure its sustainability;
to reduce solid waste being disposed of in the landfill and to extend the lifespan of the landfill;
o reduce usage of natural resources; and
to
o reduce SWM service costs borne by the District Council.
to
Pekan Town Community 3R Centre: Quick Facts
Title
: Community 3R Centre to Increase Public Participation in
Solid Waste Management in Pekan District Council
Duration
: August 2007 - December 2008 (16 months)
Implementing Agency : Pekan District Council
Participants
: Over 1,000 persons including residents, local Government
officials and private companies
5
Planning
TO ESTABLISH A PROJECT ORGANISATION FRAMEWORK AND WORKING PROCEDURES
Upon commencement of the project, a taskforce committee was established. The taskforce committee consisted of
representatives from MDP, representatives from the involved communities -Taman Permata, Taman Ketapang Mawar and
Taman Sri Pekan Baru, Pekan District Police Office and the recyclers. The taskforce was chaired by the MDP Secretary. The
committee’s role was mainly to discuss and consider and decide on proposals and opinions of the various stakeholders on
the best project implementation strategies.
The task force committee was assisted by a Responsible Entity (RE), nominated by the council in the overall coordination
of the project. The appointed RE, Perunding Uras, was the primary source of technical assistance for the planning and
implementation of the project. The KRT Taman Permata provided the staff for operating the community 3R centre.
CHAIRMAN
Secretary of MDP
SECRETARY
Asst. Environmental
Health Officer
of MDP
ADVISOR
DANIDA SWMC
CONSULTANT
Responsible Entity
TREASURY
KRT Taman Permata
COMMITTEE MEMBER
COMMITTEE MEMBER
COMMITTEE MEMBER
Project Organisation Framework – Taskforce Committee
6
SELECTION OF SITES
As the project idea was originated from Taman Permata, this community was initially selected for implementing the project.
Prior to the project inception, MDP decided to add two residential areas adjacent to Taman Permata - Taman Sri Pekan Baru
and Taman Ketapang Mawar. This addition made it up to a total of 384 households with 1,000 residents. The additional
communities have some socio-economic similarities to Taman Permata but the types of houses are quite different (photo
below). In all three communities, more than 80% of the residents are Malay and most of them earn their living as employees.
Taman Permata
Houses
: 106
Type
: Village House
Residents : 600 (90% Owner)
Taman Ketapang Mawar
Houses
: 28
Type
: Terrace House
Residents : 150 (65% Owner)
Taman Sri Pekan Baru
Houses
: 250
Type
: Low - Cost Terrace
House
Residents : 250 (50% Owner)
Selected Residential Areas in Pekan Town
7
PRELIMINARY SURVEY
Prior to establishing the centre, three sessions of preliminary surveys were carried out by members from the KRT Taman
Permata to gauge the level of awareness and attitudes of the residents on 3R practices. The preliminary surveys were
conducted between September 2007 and January 2008. The surveys showed that 87% of the residents did not participate
in existing 3R programmes or any 3R-related activities. Those who were aware of 3R were mostly students and housewives
ranging from age 18 to 40 with secondary school education. These results indicated that education plays an important role
in enhancing the awareness and fostering the 3R habit in the society.
3R
educe
euse
ecycle
YES
NO
13
109
NO ANSWER
Participation of Respondent in 3R Activities
Awareness Talks Conducted on 30 September 2007
8
3
Setting Up and Operating the Community 3R Centre
CAPACITY BUILDING OF STAKEHOLDERS
To successfully implement the community 3R centre, a number of capacity building activities were carried out. The activities
include a study tour and two training courses. On top of that, manuals for operating a community 3R centre and organising
3R campaigns were prepared to ensure sustainability of the centre.
A study tour to Kuching Community Centre in Sarawak was organised on 20 – 23 October 2007 to learn about the
management of the recycling centre in Kuching and different incentive schemes used to increase collection of recyclables
from the public. 9 participants from MDP and the three selected communities have participated. The group gained much
knowledge on which items were recyclables and the sorting of the items. The group also identified other ideas that could be
applied back home.The ideas were:
•
•
•
A point system or monetary-based incentive scheme would be more suitable than a non-monetary or donationbased scheme.
A computerised recording system should be applied.
Activities on how to make handicrafts from recyclables should be organised. This particular activity would appeal to
the housewives.
An operational training course on how to run a community 3R centre for the four persons who would serve as caretakers of
the community 3R centre was held in Petaling Jaya Community Centre on 28 July 2008. The resource persons were from
Petaling Jaya Community Centre (PJCC). The training programme included management, operation and reporting skills.
The participants were asked to participate in a trial run at the end of the training.
A follow-up training course was organised for the caretakers on 27 September 2008 at community 3R centre. The course
provided knowledge and skills on operational and reporting procedures for the collection of recyclables, specifically related
to the conditions of the selected areas.
Study tour conducted on 20 – 23 October 2007
Operational Training
9
Reporting Training
PREMISE
An abandoned kindergarten building currently under the care of KRT Taman Permata was chosen as the premise for the
community 3R centre. Renovation and upgrading of the building were carried out between February and August 2008.
Equipments such as recycling bins, weighing machines, etc. necessary for the operation of the 3R centre were put in place.
OUTREACH AND PUBLICITY
Since local support is essential to the success of the project, KRT Taman Permata held two sessions of talks at the Taman
Permata Neighbourhood Watch Centre and at Taman Sri Pekan Baru on 30 September 2007. These talks provided general
information on SWM and 3R as well as introduction to the community 3R centre to be set up.
Before launching the community 3R centre, awareness of the public had to be increased as evidenced in the preliminary
survey. Four “buy-back” campaigns were organised:
Campaign
Date
Main recyclables collected
1st Campaign
29 March 2008
Paper & Plastic
2nd Campaign
7 June 2008
Paper, Plastic & Aluminium Cans
3rd Campaign
21 September 2008
Paper & Metal Cans
4th Campaign
27 October 2008
Plastic
Venue
Tapak Pekan Sehari
Padang Pekan
Community 3R Centre, Taman Permata
Community 3R Centre, Taman Permata
Further, a drawing and colouring competition for the students in the three selected residential areas was organised. These
promotional activities have attracted much attention from the local mass media as well as the residents as the activities were
creative and new to them.
Winning Artworks of the Drawing and Colouring Competition
10
LAUNCHING
The community 3R centre was officially launched by Yang Berhormat Dato’
Dato Haji Abdul Basik
Ba bin Mohd Sah, the YDP of MDP
on 30 August 2008. A total of 200 persons attended the launching ceremony.
Launching Ceremony Officiated by Yang Berhormat
Dato’ Haji Abdul Basik bin Mohd Sah, YDP of MDP
3R Awareness Campaign
Banner Used In Campaigns
After the official launch, KRT Taman Permata continued to promote the 3R centre by organising
org
two special campaign days
on 21 September and 27 October 2008 respectively at the centre. Special buy-back pr
price for the recyclables was offered
during these campaigns to encourage more participation from the residents.
11
WORKFORCE AND OPERATION
The community 3R centre operates every Sunday from 9.00am to 12.00pm and is equipped with recycling bins clearly
marked for papers, plastics, aluminium and metal cans. As a buy-back centre, it offers incentives in the form of monetary
returns for the recyclables dropped off by the public.
The collected recyclables are then sold to the appointed recycling agent, Mr. Teh Koh Seng according to the current market
price. Currently, the centre only collects:
•
•
•
papers (old newspaper, cardboard, mixed paper and black & white paper)
plastics
aluminium and metal cans
Four volunteers were selected among the local residents as caretakers to run the centre. The caretakers are compensated
at the rate of RM20 per working day per person. Their tasks include:
Receive/sort the
recyclables sent by public
Weigh and record
the quantity of recyclables
Ensure all the facilities
are in working order
Tasks For Caretakers
Provide cash-back
payment to the public
Submit report on incoming
/outgoing recyclables to MDP
Organise and store the
recyclables at the centre
Sell the recycables to
the appointed recycling agent
12
DATA RECORDING
Every collection and transaction of recyclable was recorded in the computer using a Microsoft Excel sheet. This recording
exercise helps the caretakers to monitor the trends of quantities and prices.
Monitoring and Evaluation
STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS
Regular stakeholder meetings were held throughout the project implementation to discuss and resolve issues related to the
project activities. This proved to be a good mechanism to arouse the interest of the local residents and to empower the
community in the process of setting up and operating the community 3R centre.
Some issues that need further consideration have been identified:
•
Longer operating hours may be required. The feedback from the stakeholders indicated that the three-hour operational
time per week is not sufficient.
•
Firm agreement with the appointed recycler on the schedule for collection of recyclables is required. During the project,
inconsistent collection schedule has created storage problems for the centre.
POST SURVEY
A post survey was conducted in October and November 2008 to determine if the level of awareness and knowledge of the
community on 3R has improved. Findings from the survey and the performance of the community 3R centre will be
discussed in greater detail in the next section.
13
1. Identify your Community and
Select Location
Steps in Setting-up and Operating
a Community 3R Centre
5. Evaluate Results and Improve
2. Name a Leader and Establish
a Project Team
3. Planning (Select Sites, Survey, Inform Residents,
Getting Assistance and Financing)
4. Setting Up and Operation (Capacity Building,
Premise, Publicity & Promotion)
14
Looking Back: Successes, Challenges and Lessons
SUCCESSES
High Volumes of Recyclables Collected
By the end of January 2009, after 5 months’ operation of the centre, there had been 12 collection days at the community 3R
centre collecting around 8.5 tonnes of recyclables from the public, especially residents from Taman Permata, Taman Sri
Pekan Baru and Taman Permatang Mawar.
Month
Amount (Kg)
August
1988.10
September
1395.20
October
759.50
November
948.00
December
nil
January
3429.30
Total Recyclables Collected (kg) at the Community 3R Centre from August 2008 to January 2009
Scrap Paper (94%)
Scrap Metal (3%)
Scrap Plastic (3%)
Scrap Aluminium Cans (0%)
Type of Recyclables Collected for the Period of August 08 - January 09
15
A downward trend of recyclables collected was observed from August to October 2008. This was probably due to the sharp
decrease in market price for the recyclables during this period due to the global economy downturn. However, it began to
pick up again with the highest volumes recorded in January 2009 which was around 3.4 tonnes.
On the other hand, the total recyclables collected from the four buy-back campaigns (March, June, September and October
2008) was around 8.8 tonnes, a slightly higher volume compared to the amount collected at the community 3R centre.
Amount (kg)
This result indicates that the buy-back campaigns were more effective in terms of amount of recyclables collected than the
3R centre, probably due to the convenience (as compared to the 3R centre, which may be located too far from some of the
involved communities). The limited operating hours of the 3R centre could be another reason of lower amount being
collected.
3,500
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
3,284.2
2,454
2,370
687
March
June
Sept
Oct
Month
Total Recyclables Collected (kg) from the Buy-Back
Campaigns from March to October 2008
16
Reduced Vo
V
Volumes
lumes of Landfill Waste
W te
Was
Graph below shows the trend of the quantity of waste received at the TP Keledang Landfill. It is difficult to relate the
reduction to the amount of waste collected from this project as the amount of recyclables collected were not significant.
However, the waste amount seems to have reduced especially after the official launching of the centre and the organisation
of various campaigns. This may indicate the successful generation of awareness (see below) which may have encouraged
public at large to collect and store recyclables instead of disposing them.
Quantity of waste received (tonne / month)
Quantity of waste (tonne/month) collected from TP Keledang (Jun 07-Dec 08)
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
Campaign
Campaign
Launching
y = 2.5131x + 704.45
Campaign
JUN JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN
FEB MAC APR MAY JUN
2007
JUL
AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC
2008
Month
Volume of Waste Disposed to the Landfill from June 2007 to December 2008
17
Increased Awareness and Participation
The surveys conducted before and after the project implementation show that the level of awareness and participation in
3R activities among the residents have improved tremendously.
Before Project / After Project
Awareness on 3R
79 %
90 %
Participation in 3R activities
11 %
92 %
Knowledge on source separation at home
35 %
94 %
Level of Awareness and Participation in 3R Activities
The survey also revealed that 94% of the residents do separate waste at home after the project implementation which was
an extremely high participation rate. This indicates that the project has successfully provided an impact on the behaviour of
the interviewees.
Improved Environmental Conditions
Among the project beneficiaries, the community residents receive the most benefits. Environmental conditions in the
selected communities have changed considerably. The cleanliness of the environment is improved since almost all
recyclables and other waste were removed from the drains, parks, etc.
18
Improved Social Bonding
Throughout the project, the residents from Taman Permata, Taman Sri Pekan Baru and Taman Ketapang Mawar have been
very proactive when taking part in the collection days held in the community 3R centre. The centre has become a social
platform for the residents to participate in community 3R activities. This kind of platform has made it possible to communicate
with family, friends, neighbours and colleagues about the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling.
Public, Community and Private
This project demonstrates an interesting working model for smaller LA, business enterprise and residents to join forces for
the establishment and operation of a community 3R centre in a smaller town. MDP coordinates with the communities to
provide the community 3R centre. The communities take on the responsibility of operating the centre and arrangements are
made between the communities and the recycling agent concerning the sales of buy-back recyclables. This triangle relationship among public, private and community sectors was established in an equitable manner that may lead to increased
efficiency and good governance.
19
OPINIONS
Overall, the project was very well received amongst the stakeholders. The following are some of their views.
“I think 3R helps to keep our town clean, our environment green, our air fresher, and our life healthier and
better.”
Mr. Zamri bin Omar
Secretary of MDP
“This successful project should be duplicated to other
suburban communities in our council area!”
Mdm. Cheam Siew Kan
Assistant Environment Health Officer
MDP
Mr. Ismailudin bin Sulaiman
Secretary of KRT Taman Permata
“The residents are very supportive, especially the
kids. They get so excited. I see them collecting
the plastic bottle and aluminium cans from the
playground and sell them to the centre. Not to
mention that my kampung (village) looks cleaner
than before.”
Mdm. Rosnani binti Salim
Resident of Taman Pekan Baru
“I never knew I could recycle shampoo container
and other plastic stuff until MDP and KRT came up
with the community 3R centre. Now, I keep
reminding myself and my kids not to throw them
into the dustbin because plastics can pollute the
environment.”
“I have collected more recyclables now with the centre
than before with only the door-to-door collection.”
Mr. Teh Koh Seng
Recycling agent
20
CHALLENGES AND LESSONS
Despite the apparent success of the project, the team project has faced several challenges.
Inconsistent Recyclables and Market
Until now, the operation of community 3R centre is subsidised in many ways via the Malaysia-DANIDA Community Initiatives
programme. During the implementation, the revenues generated from the sales of recyclables are able to cover the
expenses for maintaining the facility, compensating the caretakers and supporting activities conducted by the KRT.
However, the centre may find it difficult to sustain if the volumes and sales of the recyclables collected is not consistent.
Access to 3R Centre
The location of the centre at Taman Permata is not easily accessible to the residents with no transports, particularly those
who reside in Taman Sri Pekan Baru and Taman Ketapang Mawar. There may be a need to establish similar community 3R
centre at each residential area if the collection volume continues to grow. A major challenge that the communities and MDP
will have to overcome is finding additional space for setting up the community 3R centre.
Inadequate Operation Time
Another lesson learnt is on the opening frequency of community 3R centre. Many residents felt that once a week and three
hour operation was not sufficient. Apart from this, the inconsistent collection schedule of the recycling agent has caused
storage problems at the centre, especially during the festive and monsoon seasons. The communities should arrange a
more firm schedule with the agent to avoid any backlog of recyclables stored at the centre.
Continuous Awareness Raising
The project may not be able to sustain if the awareness activities are not repeated on a regular basis. The communities must
be sensitised and stimulated to join, not only as the customers but also the operators of the centre. Media and press should
be utilised regularly. Step-by-step, the communities should expand its responsibility to handle more solid waste activities
and/or other awareness and outreach projects. In the mean time, the community leaders and the local municipal staff will
need further capacity building in various fields, e.g. mobilisation of public participation, market development for recyclables
and sustainable development to continue implementing the project and beyond.
Finally, the project will have to increase the scope of activities such as expanding the list of collectable recycled items,
increase the capacity and organise more outreach activities at the community 3R centre as a way to sustain the public
interest.
21
The Way Forward
“I am very pleased with the success of the project and I believe they can be replicated across the states. It is a great way to
work with the communities and private businesses on reducing, reusing and recycling the types of items most would not
normally consider recyclable,” said Yang Berhormat Dato’ Haji Abdul Basik bin Mohd Sah, YDP, MDP. As YDP points out
sustainability of the community 3R centre is a key for providing an effective and continuous service that satisfies the needs
of the communities.
How to sustain and replicate the successes? The most frequently raised question is financing. The revenue received for
recycled items may be able to support the operational costs of the centre and organising 3R events. However, to enhance
and develop a more firm financing, it would be advantageous. Support from LAs could be an option but there is also a
growing trend for private sector involvement in community initiatives for SWM.
For any 3R project, community participation and consultation in 3R and collection, pricing of recyclables, cost recovery and
sitting of 3R facilities are crucial to the sustainability and replication of achievements.
Organisational framework also plays an important role in the management of the community 3R centre. A strong
organisation where the roles and responsibilities of the organisers, caretakers, communities, local officials and private
sector are clearly specified is able to plan, mobilise resources and implement activities effectively.
Finally, capacity building of the stakeholders should continue to ensure the knowledge and skills of managing the community
3R centre is preserved and at the same time, enhanced. Some of the ways of increasing one’s capacity are through training,
exchange programme with other community initiatives, workshop or conference.
Although the management issue of solid waste varies from one community to another, a successful establishment of a
community 3R centre would not be possible without considering all the above issues.
22
Bibliography
Local Government Department, Ministry of Housing and Local Government, 2005. National Strategic Plan for Solid Waste
Management. Malaysia.
MDP-DANIDA, 2008. Community 3R Centre to Increase Public Participation in Solid Waste Management in Pekan District
Council: Final 3R Campaign Report. Malaysia. Unpublished.
MDP-DANIDA, 2008. Community 3R Centre to Increase Public Participation in Solid Waste Management in Pekan District
Council: Final Report of Survey on Public Awareness and Participation in 3R. Malaysia. Unpublished.
MDP-DANIDA, 2009. Community 3R Centre to Increase Public Participation in Solid Waste Management in Pekan District
Council: Final Report of Post Survey on Public Awareness and Participation in 3R. Malaysia. Unpublished.
MDP-DANIDA, 2009. Community 3R Centre to Increase Public Participation in Solid Waste Management in Pekan District
Council: Final Report. Malaysia. Unpublished.
Omran, A., Mahmood, A., Abdul Aziz, H. & Robinson, G .M., 2009. Investigating Households Attitude toward Recycling of
Solid Waste in Malaysia: A Case Study. Int. J. Environ. Res., 3(2):275-288, Spring 2009
UNEP, 1996. International Source Book on Environmentally-Sound Technologies for Municipal Solid Waste Management:
IECT Technical Publication Series 6. New York.
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Appendix I: List of Taskforce Committee Members
Name
Designation
Organisation
1.
Mr. Zamri bin Omar
Project Leader
Secretary, MDP
2.
Mdm. Cheam Siew Kan
Team Member
Assistant Environmental Health Officer, MDP
3.
Mdm. Alina binti Daud
Team Member
Assistant Accountant, MDP
4.
Tuan Haji Shariffudin
bin Ahmad
Team Member
Councillor, MDP
5.
Mr. Mohd Uyop bin
Abdul Aziz
Team Member
Chairman, KRT Taman Permata
6.
Mr. Ismailudin bin
Sulaiman
Team Member
Secretary, KRT Taman Permata
7.
Mr. Azmi bin Mohamad
Noor
Team Member
Chairman, Taman Sri Pekan Baru
8.
Mdm. Wan Khamar Wan
Hasbullah
Team Member
Representative, Taman Ketapang Mawar
9.
Mr. Mat Yusoof bin
Yaakub
Team Member
Caretaker, Community 3R Centre
10. Mdm. Rosnani binti Salim
Team Member
Caretaker, Community 3R Centre
11. Mr. Ahmad Hamidi bin
Hassan
Team Member
Alam Flora Sdn. Bhd
12. Mr. Amran bin Sidek
Team Member
Deputy Police, Pekan District Police Office
13. Ms. Chen Saw Ling
Consultant
Perunding Uras d.S
14. Ms. Chang Siaw Yen
Consultant
Perunding Uras d.S
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