Kota Kinabalu: Sabah needs different waste management approaches tailored to individual districts rather than a single solution for all areas, according to the Institute for Development Studies (Sabah) (IDS).
Its Chairperson Datuk Seri Azizah Mohd Dun said local conditions varied considerably, citing the 115-acre Kayu Madang landfill, which receives about 800 tonnes of waste daily from Kota Kinabalu, Tuaran, Penampang, Putatan and Kota Belud and is reportedly nearing maximum capacity.
She said other districts faced different challenges, including open waste disposal along coastal areas in Pitas, limited disposal infrastructure on Semporna’s islands, marine pollution linked to rubbish in Kunak and the need for waste collection centres outside local authority rating areas in Lahad Datu.
“A solution designed for an urban area handling hundreds of tonnes of waste a day may not necessarily be suitable for an island or rural community still struggling to obtain regular waste collection services,” she said at an IDS and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Malaysia roundtable discussion here on Monday.
Azizah said new technologies, including a proposed biogas facility at Kayu Madang capable of generating up to two megawatts of electricity and incineration methods in Pitas, Kunak and Semporna, were welcome but would not be sufficient without reliable waste collection, proper separation and clearly defined institutional responsibilities.
