PETALING JAYA: A specific policy and a circular economy roadmap is underway to address plastic waste management and marine litter challenges, says the Environment and Water Ministry.

       In a reply to The Star, the ministry, as the anchor ministry for marine environment and biodiversity, said Malaysia, along with seven South-East Asian countries, is currently implementing a project titled “Reducing Marine Litter by Addressing the Management of the Plastic Value Chain in South-East Asia (SEA Circular)”.

       “The aim of this project is to come out with a policy that will guide the management of marine litter, including plastic waste, that will be reflected in the upcoming National Marine Litter Policy,” it said.

       The ministry said the project would be a broad-based plan to address marine litter and will be guided by a multi-stakeholder approach.

       The ministry revealed it is also in the final phase of finalising a circular economy roadmap, which aims to reduce plastic waste at source, as well as putting value to plastic as an element that could be recycled.

       “In 2019, it was reported that only 24% of the 1.4 million tonnes of disposed plastic waste were recycled as secondary material, with 63% either left at sanitary landfill, illegal dumping sites, burned, while the rest leaked into the environment.

       “Only 3% was utilised for power generation due to lack of facility and appropriate technology,” it said.

       The ministry noted that circular economy solutions for plastics include producing plastics from alternative non-fossil fuel feedstock, using plastic waste as a resource, redesigning plastic manufacturing processes and products to enhance longevity, and collaboration between businesses and consumers to encourage recycling and increase the value of plastic products.

       “Circular economy can also boost local communities and local jobs, both through its potential to create new markets and products and its emphasis on creating local material loops and shortening supply chains,” it said.

       The ministry said it recognises the threat of marine waste, especially plastic pollutants, to ecosystems, food security and the sustainable livelihood of communities.

       It said numerous efforts are continuous in addressing the issue and in sustaining the vast marine biodiversity of Malaysian waters, including launching a “Zero Single-Use Plastics Roadmap” in 2018 that serves as a holistic policy in addressing single-use plastic pollution in Malaysia.

       The roadmap is aimed at addressing the severity of plastic pollution in the country, low plastic waste recycling rates, the absence of a uniform policy framework, as well as an environmentally-friendly and cost-effective alternative and to prevent illegal plastic waste from entering the country.

       On the Klang River being one of the top contributors to plastic waste, the Irrigation and Drainage Department (DID) said there is lack of data to show actual reductions or changes in terms of plastic waste discarded into Malaysian rivers.

       This is because solid waste collected by log booms, which are installed across a river and at gross pollutant taps, which are installed at the end of a drain before it enters another drain or river, are not segregated or separated.

       “Therefore, there is no data on actual tonnage of plastics that

       have found its way into the river,” it said.