PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
INGENIEUR
WASTE
MANAGEMENT
W
aste management in Malaysia has
achieved another milestone with the
enforcement of mandatory source
separation of waste in stages among several
states in West Malaysia. It augurs well for Malaysia
in the waste management hierarchy that places 3R
on the top and landfill at the bottom. Separation of
waste at source will also alter the technological
approaches of waste treatment, be it for landfill
or incinerator as the waste characteristics would
have been altered considerably. Other systems
such as Refuse-Derived Fuel or RDF without the
wet organic waste would be more feasible in view
of the higher calorific value and the easier pretreatment process.
Although the history of sustainable solid waste
treatment in Malaysia is relative new, there are
examples of local success stories. The article on
Bukit Tagar Landfill by a local company, that won
a few awards, is proof of Malaysian capability in
treating waste on par with international standards.
The same company has also ventured beyond
our shores with good success. The article on
Sanshui Sanitary Landfill in Foshan, China
demonstrates a Malaysian company’s strength
in technical know-how and sound management
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in treating waste in a foreign country. The project
was accorded the National First Class Award by
the China Association of Urban Environment
Sanitation in 2013.
With the preference for more efficient waste
treatment as the nation moves towards developed
nation status by 2020, we would expect more
demand for high-tech waste treatment systems
utilizing waste-to-energy technology or incineration
on a larger scale. Local engineers should
venture into more innovative, cost effective and
environmental-friendly technology to treat solid
waste that is more sustainable.
The recent UN Summit for Post-2015
Sustainable Development Goals specifically
mentioned the need to reduce the adverse per
capita environmental impact of cities by paying
special attention to waste management. There
will be more opportunities in the waste treatment
industry locally and regionally, and it is up to our
engineers to take an early lead to get the knowhow and expertise.
Datuk Ir. Adanan bin Mohamed Hussain
President BEM