Dato Sri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar
SIBU: Steps are being taken to tackle the issue of electronic waste (e-waste) in the country to protect the environment, which last year amounted to about one million metric tonnes.
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dato Sri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said soon there would be a state-of-the-art machine to reduce, reuse and recycle e-waste.
“The machine, introduced by a German company to Shan Poornam Metals Sdn Bhd, has the potential to reduce e-waste from being dumped by irresponsible individuals into backyards, rubbish dumps or the country side. No one can imagine how much pollution is caused by chlorofluorocarbons, hydro-fluorocarbon, mercury and other offensive substances as a result irresponsible dumping,” Wan Junaidi told The Borneo Post recently.
In 2011, 695,122 MT of e-waste was produced in the country; 2012 (740,585 MT); 2013 (797,879 MT), 2014 (865,384 MT) and 2015 (926, 986 MT).
Bernama recently reported that Malaysia would soon receive its first machine to recycle e-waste after a local company Shan Poornam Metals Sdn Bhd signed a purchase agreement with a German company, Andritz MeWa GmBH.
Wan Junaidi, who is also Santubong MP, said Shan Poornam Metals Sdn Bhd had collection centres in every state, including Sarawak (Kuching).
He said the company, which had been in the recycle, reuse and recovery business for 40 years, was on expansion mode.
He added that e-waste was included in the Environmental Quality (Schedules Wastes) Regulations, 2005.
“Those found to have infringed the regulations could be compounded the maximum of RM2,000 fine for each offence.
“But the big question is how many people have been compounded for throwing away their electric kettles, cookers, refrigerators or handphones into the rubbish dumps?”
Wan Junaidi said his ministry was working with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to come up with a comprehensive management mechanism (from home to recycle system).
“Shan Poornam Metals only deals with recycle, reuse, reduce and recovery part but our management system will include system of collection, distribution, fee, recycle and regulations – from factory of electrical/electronic goods to factory of reusable materials/substances recovered,” he said.