ALOR STAR: The Kedah Department of Environment (DOE) collected 24 tonnes of electrical and electronic waste items (e-waste) in the state for this year.
Its director Sharifah Zakiah Syed Sahab said the highest collection of 22.6 tonnes or 90 per cent of the total came from Langkawi.
"The e-waste collection programme received good response from the local community, hotels, as well as government offices on the island.
"So far Langkawi does not have a premises licensed by DOE to collect and process scheduled waste including e-waste.
"The e-waste initiative was implemented by DOE to prevent such waste from being disposed of indiscriminately and pollute the environment or sent to be processed by illegal premises," she said in a statement here today.
She said the waste collected would be sent to the mainland to be processed at premises licensed by DOE.
In another development, Sharifah Zakiah said a stop work order was issued on Dec 13 on a metal recycling factory in Gurun which was earlier raided and was given the operation equipment detention order by DOE.
"The action under Section 34AA (2) Environmental Quality Act 1974 (Amendment) was taken as the premises had infringed the approval conditions and was found to be operating without a licence to store processed scheduled waste.
"The industries have been advised to adhere to Environmental Quality Act 1974 and its regulations," she said. --BERNAMA