Towards Sustainable Resource and Waste Management in Developing Countries: The Role of Commercial and Food Waste in Malaysia

Papargyropoulou E Padfield R,Rupani Pf Zakaria Z

doi:10.4172/2252-5211.1000151

Abstract

Rising commercial waste generation poses a significant environmental and public health issue, especially in rapidly expanding urban centres in developing countries. A commercial district in Malaysia was selected to explore the challenges and opportunities for minimisation of commercial waste. This research provides empirical data on commercial and food waste generation rates, the problems faced by waste producers, and the priorities for improvement. It is argued that whilst commercial waste offers opportunities for waste minimisation, current challenges related to amenity and public health such as pests, odour and littering, can be addressed by the provision of additional bins, grease traps and improved public areas cleansing. The study concludes that food waste plays a key role in the progression towards a more sustainable waste management system in a developing country such as Malaysia, due to its high generation rates, its contribution to public health and amenity problems, and its high potential for resource recovery.

Highlights

The management of solid wastes continues to be a major challenge in urban areas throughout the world, especially in rapidly growing cities and towns in developing countries (United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development)
This paper presented a study of commercial and food waste in Malaysia
The study highlighted a number of issues related to the management of commercial waste, such as amenity and public health problems caused primarily by irresponsible disposal practices of food and liquid wastes, low awareness and interest in waste management, and inefficient provision of waste receptacles

Summary

Introduction

The management of solid wastes continues to be a major challenge in urban areas throughout the world, especially in rapidly growing cities and towns in developing countries (United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development). Malaysia is selected as the country of study as it represents a developing country in the rapidly growing region of Southeast Asia that has achieved noteworthy economic growth in the past few decades [11] During this period, an increase in urbanization has been observed leading to a number of waste management challenges [12]. As with most other commercial districts in Malaysia, SS2 faces challenges related to waste management, public cleaning and amenity [19] These issues are expected to intensify as the surrounding residential area of Petaling Jaya continues to grow. The questionnaire was organized in four thematic sections: background information of the business, waste generation, waste collection, and feedback on the overall waste management service currently provided. The Analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was applied to determine the statistical significance amongst the results, and assess the correlation between the different variables

Results and Discussion

Limitations

Conclusions