THE Penang Island City Council (MBPP) struck a landmark agreement with one of the world’s top food producers – Nestle to collaborate on recycling among landed and strata home dwellers.
MBPP was represented by its Lord Mayor Datuk Anthony Rajendran while Nestle was by its Malaysia chief executive officer Juan Aranols.
Witnessing the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) were MBPP services management director Azman Surin and Nestle Malaysia corporate relations executive officer Raja Nur Maria Murni.
Rajendran informed a media briefing that the MoU would consolidate ties between Nestle and the city council through joint efforts to conserve the environment.
The campaign to encourage recycling and separation of waste comes on the back of the reactivation of the waste separation enforcement effort, which was previously halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Now, Rajendran said that the enforcement is focused on both landed and strata housing to double the number of ratepayers involved in recycling with Nestle’s assistance.
“The waste separation would assist MBPP in reducing the number of solid waste dispatched to dumping grounds, which are now under siege due to an inflow of a large amount of waste.”
Rajendran said that recycling can help reduce the carbon footprint and enhance the greenery efforts which are now undertaken by both local authorities in Penang.
Nestle and MBPP will work together in selected housing areas with the initial work starting last year.
The localities identified are Island Glades, Island Park and Avar at the Sri Tanjung Pinang, while for high rises, the locations are at the Quayside as well as the Tamarind condominiums.
Plans are afoot to extend it to the Ariza Courtyard and Seafront homes at Tanjung Pinang, involving an additional 4,201 landed units while 4,854 high-rise units are earmarked for the campaign.
Nestle would help MBPP in generating an effective recycling campaign.
This collaboration will extend the listed company’s door-to-door collection and recycling project to more than 13,000 households across 39 condominium units and 2 landed residential areas in 2025.
Aranols said: “The expansion of the project to Penang Island further brings to reality our unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship and our vision for a waste-free Malaysia. By engaging communities and working hand-in-hand with stakeholders like MBPP, we aim to drive impactful initiatives that reduce waste, promote recycling and set the stage for a more sustainable nation. This is part of Nestlé Malaysia’s commitment to achieving plastic neutrality.”
As of last November, MBPP revealed that 125.5 tons of recycled wastes were collected of which 19 tons are plastic recyclables.
Taman Serina in Sungai Pinang has become a zone to isolate the plastic waste, which is timely as for the entire Penang, the central waste dump site is at the Pulau Burung landfill.
The landfill can only continue to operate at the present capacity for another 36 – years, Rajendran disclosed.
Because of this, Rajendran wants to expand the collaboration with Nestle and for a total buy-in from the communities here to recycle and manage waste better. – January 18, 2025.