KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA) and Malaysian Plastics Recyclers Association (MPRA) have expressed hope that Budget 2020 will contain allocations for programmes to improve household waste separation, especially the separation of recyclable plastics.

In a joint statement today, the associations said the authorities need to find new ways of reducing and preventing littering, which can be achieved through a small-grant litter innovation fund under the purview of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government.

“Small grants could be awarded to spur anti-littering programmes and studies or subsidise infrastructure or equipment,” the statement said.

It cited as an example the establishment of a litter innovation fund in England to support innovative research projects that have the potential to be scaled up, or applied more widely, with grant recipients required to match a proportion of the funding, and deliver their projects within six months.

Alternatively, it said, establishing a fund for projects will encourage more effective separation of households’ recyclable plastic waste and produce more homogenous, higher quality plastic waste streams and reduce contamination.

A circular economy fund could also be established to accelerate Malaysia’s transition towards a circular economy which keeps resources in the economy through reusing and recycling, instead of being disposed of in the landfill, it noted.

“Encouraging the use of recycled materials in the making of new products is a core principle of the circular economy,” it said.

It said Malaysia needs a sustainable and viable plastics recycling industry to support its industrial and manufacturing sectors, and that means well-designed and effective policies and regulations to strengthen the country’s waste management system and prevent improperly disposed plastics from polluting the environment.

-- BERNAMA