TACKLING SOLID WASTE GENERATION THE 3R WAY

KUALA LUMPUR, July 8 (Bernama) -- The 3R waste management programme of
reduce, reuse and recycle will be the main strategy to tackle the country's
generation of solid waste which is projected to hit 30,000 tonnes a day by 2020,
parliament was told Thursday.

Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Lajim Ukin said the ministry
would be committed to maintaining the programme by providing annual allocations
to procure recycle bins, conduct awareness campaigns and build recycling centres
in selected local authority areas.

Replying to a question from MP Rashid Din, he said the Ninth Malaysia Plan
(2006-2010) document showed that the annual rate of recycling by Malaysians was
five per cent.

He said that according to the National Strategic Plan for Solid Waste
Management, the annual increase in the recycling rate by Malaysians was
estimated at one per cent.

"This gives a projected annual recycling rate of 22 per cent by Malaysians
in 2020," he said.

He also said that the expenditure to make available facilities and promote
the 3R programme was RM3.4 million (US$1.06 million) in 2006, RM3.3 million
(US$1.03 million) in 2007 and RM1.5 million (US$468 million) in 2008.
-- BERNAMA