Malaysians produce 30,000 tonnes of household waste a day. Of this, two per cent is hazardous waste.
University Malaya’s Prof Dr P. Agamuthu, an expert on solid and hazardous waste management, says this meant 600 tonnes — equivalent to the weight of 48 garbage trucks — of hazardous waste is thrown out daily.
Electrical and electronic industries generate about 30 per cent of the total hazardous waste in Malaysia, of which seven per cent is e-waste.
There are also 200 to 500 mobile phones and computers to every 1,000 Malaysians, says Agamuthu.
And where does most of this go when they reach the end of their life-span?
To the landfills, says Agamuthu.
“Our fluorescent tubes, batteries, insecticide containers and even medication such as pills you throw are all hazardous waste but they all go into our trash and end up in the landfills,” says Agamuthu, who is also the managing editor of the International Solid Waste Association’s journal Waste Management and Research.
This is of serious concern, he says, as it will cause hazardous substances from the waste to appear in the leachate.
He says hazardous waste that is not treated properly can release toxic gases, such as hydrogen sulphide, as well as mercury, both of which are extremely poisonous.
“Mercury vapour is the most dangerous, and this is released when you crush a fluorescent tube. Inhalation of small quantities of mercury vapour will affect the nervous system while inhalation of large quantities can result in death. This kind of waste can also affect the groundwater which in turn impacts the rivers. If you have a home with a concrete base near a landfill, methane would collect below the home. If it reaches a concentration of more than five per cent, it can blow the whole home,” says Agamuthu.
Is it time to hit the panic button?
“For now, the concentrations are still low but if we continue to just throw this waste into the landfills, then it will become an issue. We should start preventing contamination instead of later having to clean it up. We don’t want a scenario like what happened in Minamata, Japan,” says Agamuthu.
The people in Minamata suffered from a nerve disorder in 1956 due to eating contaminated seafood caused by the release of methyl mercury in the industrial wastewater from the Chisso Corporation’s chemical factory.
Animal and human deaths continued for more than 30 years.
The problem in Malaysia, says Agamuthu, is that household hazardous waste could fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Environment (DOE) or the National Solid Waste Management Department (JPSPN) both of which come under different ministries.
“Collection, transportation, treatment, disposal and the recycling of hazardous waste require licenses from the DOE.
“If the waste concessionaires do collect it, then who is going to pay for its collection and treatment? If there are traces of mercury in the waste, it will cost about RM8,000 per tonne to properly dispose of it,” says Agamuthu.
This kind of waste can only be sent to an engineered secured landfill site.
Agamuthu says although sanitary landfills have leachate treatment plants, they would not be able to handle this kind of waste.
This is because the leachate affects the bacteria that is required for the breaking down of the organic waste and slows down the process.
Agamuthu says less than 10 per cent of the landfills in the country are sanitary while more than 170 are just “dumps”.
What he recommends is to have an organized hazardous waste collection system.
“In Malaysia, this kind of waste has to go to Kualiti Alam Sdn Bhd. The government should bear the cost of collection, transporting and disposal initially for household hazardous waste. Collection can be done once a month or six times a year,” he says.
This was necessary as separation at source has yet to be practiced.
“We still don’t have separation at source. Although it is set to become mandatory in 2013, I have my doubts as the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management bill was sitting in Parliament for 10 years and although it was passed in 2007, they keep on postponing the implementation of the Act,” he said.
Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung announced on March 28 that the Act’s implementation on April 30 was deferred indefinitely to address some technical aspects.
Agamuthu, who is the president of the Malaysian Society of Waste Management and Environment (MSWME), says in most developed countries the cost of recycling and treating e-waste and household hazardous waste is borne by both the consumer and producer.
“We should do the same thing here. The cost of doing this could be incorporated into the selling price of the product or a minimal fee could be charged to the consumer when the used products are returned to the producer, with the latter bearing 70 per cent of the disposal charges,” he says.
Agamuthu says sectoral regulations are also needed.
“We have one big Act governing everything. What we also need is regulations which are specific to each type of waste such as fluorescent tubes and dry-cell batteries.”
“The earth’s carrying capacity is already more than 30 per cent over the limit. We have only one earth to live in so we better start caring now.”
