THERE is a need for systematic and sustainable recycling efforts to overcome environmental problems.
It is time the government took a serious view of the recycling efforts for glass and plastics. Glass used for various applications, as well as in the traditional manufacturing of glass bottles. However, there is no recycling of glass products and this has led to almost 100 per cent of glass ending up in dumpsters and, subsequently, in the landfills. What a colossal waste of a valuable resource!
A few decades ago, vendors collected bottles, but this practice has died off. The reason why no one is collecting or selling glass bottles is that there are no substantial recycling activities. Glass is non-biodegradable and should be recycled to reduce harm to the environment.
Another issue concerns the recycling of plastics. Their harmful and toxic effects are greater than glass. One sees plastic bottles and other plastic items strewn around, not only endangering the people by potentially causing diseases but also being an eyesore and polluting public areas.
Unless the government comes up with a proper programme for recycling glass and plastics, this problem will escalate and become unmanageable in the future. Presently, recycling is done in an unsystematic way by scrap- yard operators.
The government needs to support the recycling activities by providing land on a temporary occupation licence basis for large scale recyclers.
The government or local authorities must also help in ensuring reasonable or subsidised price levels to make recycling worthwhile. Scrapyard operators pay very low prices and this is the main reason why recycling is not popular.
Most of the used plastic and glass bottles look as good as new and can be easily recycled at reduced costs. Consumers purchasing mineral water and soft drinks need to support recycling and should buy the products only if there is information on the labels stating that the bottles used recycled materials. For example, a recycled plastic bottle should be priced at five sen each, and if this can be done, I am sure there will hardly be any bottles lying around!
The government needs to consider that if it does not pay the five sen at the recycling collection point, then it could be paying even more for charges at the landfills, as well as for clearing waterways clogged with bottles and other plastic litter. Which is the better option? The amount of garbage can be drastically reduced by this method.
Recyclers and scrapyard operators will have to buy at a higher price from the government collection centres and they have no alternative but to pay more. This hike in the price of the recyclables will have a positive effect. Plastics and glass manufacturers need to be taxed more to ensure that they support the recycling efforts in their manufacturing process.
Import duties and taxes for raw materials used in the manufacture of plastics and bottles should be raised to encourage recycling. It is regrettable that these firms hardly show any corporate social responsibility by helping in the recycling process other than as a publicity stunt occasionally, unlike in many other countries where the manufacturers of electrical, electronic and other appliances have to collect them back for recycling. Both the federal and state governments as well as the municipal authorities can ensure that this can be done.
The Selangor government recently launched a “No Plastic Bags” campaign, but it has been of little effect as only a few commercial outlets were involved and there were no alternatives in the form of other bags. It must be noted that unless an alternative is found to reduce usage of plastic bags, the battle is as good as lost.
The oil palm fruit bunches, which are fluffy and fibrous, are a good source to make fibre bags that can be used as an alternative to plastic bags. Millions of empty fruit bunches end up as steam boiler fuel, waste or as mulch, which can be processed into sacks and bags. Research needs to be done on using the empty bunches for the manufacture of sacks, bags, paper and other items. Durable bags can be made from the empty bunches, whose fibre resembles jute. Before the advent of plastics in the 1960s, jute and hemp were the popular materials for sacks and bags.
By using present-day technology, colourful and attractive bags sourced from the oil palm empty bunches can be created. What is needed is research and innovation to try to find an alternative to the harmful effects of plastics on the environment, and it will be worth paying a little more.
V. THOMAS
Sungai Buloh, Selangor