Recycling project expands to Subang Jaya, Sepang
Amiruddin (left) placing recyclable plastic waste into a collection lorry at the SelKitar launch as Jamaliah and Ng (right) look on. — YAP CHEE HONG/The Star
A NEW door-to-door recyclable waste collection programme has been launched for households in Subang Jaya and Sepang.
KDEB Waste Management has teamed up with a food-and-beverage manufacturer for the Selangor Recycling (SelKitar) Programme, launched at Shah Alam Convention Centre.
The programme is expected to begin next month in several areas under Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ) and Sepang Municipal Council (MPSepang), covering 17,000 households.
It is an extension of the Door-to-Door Collection and Recycling Programme introduced by Nestle in 2020, as part of its Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy, in which the company collaborates with local councils such as Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and waste management companies.
So far, the project, which was recently extended to Penang, had reached 200,000 households in Peninsular Malaysia and has prevented 33,000 tonnes of waste, including 20,000 tonnes of plastic, from going into landfills or the ocean, Nestle Malaysia chief executive officer Juan Aranols said.
State public health and environment committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin said Selangor, the most developed and populous state in the country, generated more than 7,000 tonnes of domestic waste daily.
'Much of the waste still ends up in landfills. This is not a trajectory we can afford.
'Our landfill capacity is not infinite. Recognising this, the state government has made sustainable waste management a cornerstone of our environmental strategy by prioritising separation at source, advancing circular economy practices and strengthening the role of local authorities in driving long-term changes.
'Through First Selangor Plan (RS-1), we are transitioning from a 'collect-and-dump' model to one focusing on recycling, based in resource efficiency, circularity and citizen responsibility.'
She said waste must not be seen as something to be disposed but to be managed, with systems that restore value to used materials.
According to Jamaliah, under the SelKitar programme, two additional lorries would be mobilised in Subang Jaya and Sepang, to recover recyclables six days a week.
'This phase serves as an important stepping stone as we scale up recycling efforts across all 12 local councils.
'It lays the foundation for a more comprehensive and coordinated approach, positioning the state to significantly improve its recycling rate and move closer to our long-term sustainability goals,' said Jamaliah.
KDEB Waste Management managing director Datuk Ramli Mohd Tahir said the SelKitar programme marked a strategic shift in how waste was managed, especially plastic and packaging.
'It focuses not just on disposal but on recovery, recycling and rethinking our consumption patterns.
'Through this programme, we aim to create a sustainable loop that engages producers, consumers and waste managers in a meaningful way,' said Ramli.
Also present at the launch were Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari and state local government and tourism committee chairman Datuk Ng Suee Lim.
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