LANDFILLS are supposed to be areas designated for wastes to be properly managed. They should be designed and operated according to accepted environmental standards.
As the world consumes products, it is unavoidable that there will be parts that cannot be consumed.
They are normally referred to as waste. The more appropriate term is residue or leftovers. Looking at the contents of the residue, much still hold value. Much can be converted into other useful applications.
Food wastes, for example, can be converted into fertilizers. We import much of our fertilizers. This is what a circular economy is all about.
The so-called waste from one industry can become useful raw materials for another. Such waste is in fact a resource. It is agreed that there are some residues which are totally unusable.
Landfills are then designed to take care of such waste so that the damage to the environment is minimal. In fact, properly managed landfills can be harnessed for other useful products. One good example is biogas which can be harnessed as energy.
A recent case of dumping tonnes of expired rice clearly shows there is still a lack of public understanding about the true purpose of landfills. Many still see landfills as the place to dump rubbish.
That rice dumping episode had shocked most people, not just because of the dumping action, but more so because it involved the burning of a sizable tonnage of the claimed spoilt rice. We talk a lot about our NetZero ambition.
Such act to openly burn rubbish clearly contradicts the aspiration to reduce emissions. And worse still it is happening when the country is arguing how to better achieve rice security. The truth is spoilt rice still has value.
They should not be treated as waste. Many countries around the world process such carbohydrate-rich expired rice into animal feeds.
Some even use them as feed material for ethanol production. Our problem is that we still do not have the right ecosystem to drive a circular economy where such expired resources can still be put to good use.
There is no use talking about the circular economy if we do not create a robust ecosystem to make it function. Many agree there are many economic opportunities a circular economy presents.
Not to mention the benefit to the environment. And nowadays, doing business that benefits the environment attracts a lot of investment as well.
This is why the interest in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) has picked up momentum among businesses worldwide. A circular economy fits nicely in the ESG agenda. It is unfortunate that some businesses do not see this.
Dumping wastes in landfills is a common practice in many businesses. There have been reported cases of the dumping of solid industrial wastes, including plastics and discarded electronic parts. Recycling is still not properly regulated in the country.
Lately, concern has been expressed on the dumping of empty fruit bunches (EFBs) on landfills. Such action is not only an environmental hazard but also a missed economic opportunity.
It is an environmental hazard because in a poorly designed and inadequately managed landfill, such practice would result in greenhouse methane emission which reduce the marks in any ESG audit assessment.
It is also a missed economic opportunity because there are many potential products that can be generated from the cellulose and fibre of the empty bunches. Such practice has not abated because of the poor enforcement of regulations.
A recent call to put more vigour in the just released National Biomass Action Plan may give rise to an improved business ecosystem to derive value from such EFBs.
The Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) has also sprung into action to incite more interest among potential investors. A business roundtable will be held soon.
Two issues need highlighting here. Poor awareness on the true functions of landfills has led to much abuse of such public facilities. Instead of resolving the environmental concerns of wastes, abused landfills further escalate the environmental consequences.
The sad part is that the country is missing out on the opportunity to create economic value from such wastes. Many hope the roundtable initiative by MIDA will be the game changer.
The writer is a professor at the Tan Sri Omar Centre for STI Policy, UCSI University