Kuala lumpur: Alam Flora Sdn Bhd is stepping up efforts to reduce food waste through new composting projects, expanded recycling initiatives and public awareness campaigns, as food waste accounts for 45 per cent of Malaysia's municipal solid waste (MSW), says Chief Executive Officer Shariman Yusuf Mohamed Zain. He said the company is planning a pilot project at one of the wholesale markets in Kuala Lumpur to convert food waste into compost, noting that about 50 tonnes of waste are generated there daily, with around 60 per cent comprising food waste. Shariman said the initiative is expected to divert between 15 and 20 tonnes of food waste from landfills, with the company aiming to launch the project this year.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Alam Flora continues to work closely with stakeholders including Kuala Lumpur City Hall, the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation and the National Solid Waste Management Department to promote landfill avoidance through composting, recycling and public awareness initiatives. "We are looking at a pilot project at one of the wholesale markets to convert food waste into compost. I'd really like people to be more conscious and avoid food wastage... when we go to restaurants, we should order only what we can finish and if it is not enough, we can always order more instead of over-ordering and throwing food away," Shariman told Bernama recently.

Shariman said Alam Flora, which aims to provide a holistic environmental solution for sustainable living, is also promoting a zero-waste culture centred on landfill avoidance by encouraging the public to adopt more sustainable lifestyles. He said the initiative is not about eliminating waste entirely, but about reducing waste sent to landfills by adopting sustainable habits. Materials such as food waste can be turned into compost, while plastics, paper, aluminium, tin cans and used cooking oil can be recycled and given a second life as valuable resources.

To support separation at source, he said Alam Flora operates Drive-Thru Recycling Centres and Buyback Centres, where members of the public can send recyclable materials and receive payment based on the type and weight of items collected. The collected recyclables are then processed at the company's Material Recovery Facilities, that facilitate post-collection sorting and recycling. "The public can also use our Recyclink application, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, which is linked to the Touch 'n Go eWallet, where payments are credited directly after recyclable items are weighed," he explained.

Shariman emphasised that greater public participation in waste separation at source remains crucial, noting that while recycling facilities are available, changing long-established habits will take time. On that note, he said Alam Flora has been working with residents' associations, conducting public education programmes and engaging social media influencers to encourage more households to separate recyclable waste before disposal. "I think the big game changer will be when we have separate bins like those used in countries such as Australia and Japan. It is a lifestyle change, and changing habits is never easy," he said.

According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), 79.3 per cent of Malaysian households dispose of food waste together with other household waste, while only 20.7 per cent separate food waste for proper management. DOSM estimates Malaysians generate between 31.9 kilogrammes (kg) and 97.3 kg of household food waste per capita annually, highlighting the scale of the issue. The report found that processed or cooked food is wasted more frequently than raw food, with 94.1 per cent of households reporting disposal of cooked food compared with 88.7 per cent for raw food.