The Housing and Local Government Ministry disclosed that the country is targeting to increase its recycling rate by 2 percent every year until 2025.  This is to achieve its target of reaching a 40 percent recycling rate by 2025 under the 12th Malaysia Plan.

The target covers all categories of waste which can be recycled such as metal, paper, plastic, glass and other materials like fabric and rubber products.

In the year 2020, Malaysia recorded a recycling rate of 30.67 percent which exceeded the target of 30 percent set for that year.

Based on feedback from recycling plants in the country, the ministry says 2.76 tonnes of plastic were successfully recycled out of the 4.27 tonnes of recyclable waste collected in 2019.

Such recycled plastic comprised 64.69 percent of total recyclable wastes for that year.

This amount is higher compared to the year 2018 when 1.57 tonnes of plastic was recycled.

The most common type of plastic wastes found in landfills is a clear film type of plastic known as low density polyethylene which is widely used to make items like grocery bags, plastic wrapping and packaging material.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE